Sunday Silence

Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence at Shadai Stallion Station Hayakita(Abira), Hokkaido, Japan.
Sire	Halo
Grandsire	Hail To Reason
Dam	Wishing Well
Damsire	Understanding
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1986
Country	USA
Colour	Black/Brown
Breeder	Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds, Ltd.
Owner	H-G-W Partners Racing silks: Gray, yellow sash, sleeves and cap
Trainer	Charlie Whittingham
Record	14: 9-5-0
Earnings	$4,968,554
Major wins
Santa Anita Derby (1989) San Felipe Stakes (1989) Kentucky Derby (1989) Preakness Stakes (1989) Super Derby (1989) Breeders' Cup Classic (1989) Californian Stakes (1990)
Awards
U.S. Champion 3-Year-Old Colt (1989) United States Horse of the Year (1989)
Honours
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1996) #31 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century Sunday Silence Stakes in Louisiana Downs Leading sire in Japan 1995 through 2007
Last updated on January 12, 2008

Sunday Silence (1986-2002) was an American thoroughbred race horse, earning distinction as 1989 American Horse of the Year over American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse Easy Goer. He was foaled in 1986, sired by Halo out of Wishing Well. Though he was registered as a dark bay/brown, he was in fact a true black. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, Sunday Silence is ranked #31. Sunday Silence was retired to Japan, where his success as a sire was confined to Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Dubai.

Early years

Sunday Silence was bred by Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds, Ltd. Passed twice at the sales ring as a yearling, he was finally sold in California for $50,000 as a 2-year-old in training. Arthur B. Hancock III bought him as a "buy-back" (he had bred him), hoping to ship him to Kentucky. However, an accident kept Sunday Silence in California. Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham bought a half share of the colt and then sold half of that to Dr. Ernest Gaillard. (Ownership designate: H-G-W Partners)

Although he showed ability, he didn't make it to the races until late in his 2-year-old season, winning a maiden special weight and finishing second in an allowance from three starts. In his third year, he managed to get an allowance win. In the Race to the Roses, Sunday Silence won the San Felipe Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby to allow him to qualify for a slot at the Kentucky Derby.

1989 U.S. Triple Crown

In the build up to the 1989 Triple Crown, a rivalry developed between the west-coast Sunday Silence and American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse Easy Goer, an east-coast thoroughbred with superior breeding. Easy Goer was also the media darling and favorite of the east-coast dominated sports media, who picked him ahead of Sunday Silence in each race of the Triple Crown. In the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, Sunday Silence and jockey Pat Valenzuela won by 2 1/2 lengths over Easy Goer, who was said to have had a tough time running on the muddy track that day, according to his trainer Shug McGaughey.

The media widely accepted the excuse by his trainer, and again picked "Goer" to win the Preakness Stakes. However Sunday Silence again prevailed, this time by a nose, over Easy Goer. This race has been proclaimed by many experts to be the "Race of the Half Century." Some Easy Goer loyalists in the media maintained their horse's superiority, attributing the loss to the fact that Easy Goer had dwelt at the start and his Jockey Pat Day reined Easy Goer's head to the right when he had a short lead in the home stretch. In the Belmont Stakes, known as the "Test of the Champion", the final and longest race of the Triple Crown at 1-1/2 miles, Sunday Silence would play the role of betting favorite with Easy Goer the underdog. Easy Goer won and defeated Sunday Silence by eight lengths in the second fastest Belmont Stakes in history behind only Secretariat, and denied Sunday Silence the elusive Triple. In the process, Easy Goer seemed to vindicate his reputation as the reigning champion two year-old. By virtue of his two Classic wins and his runner-up performance Sunday Silence was awarded the third $1,000,000 Visa Triple Crown Bonus for best three year-old in the series.

After the Belmont, Sunday Silence went on to finish second to eventual Breeders' Cup Turf winner Prized in the Grade II Swaps Stakes on July 23, and win the Super Derby on September 24. Easy Goer was coming into the Classic with 5 consecutive Grade I wins, 3 of those wins against older horses, with his final race before the Classic the longer distanced 1 1/2 miles Jockey Club Gold Cup. This set up one final face-off with Easy Goer at the season-ending $3 Million Breeders' Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park, run on November 4. The contest was dubbed the "Race of the Decade" and many believed would decide the winner of the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year award. Sunday Silence's Jockey Pat Valenzuela had earlier been suspended for cocaine use and was replaced by veteran Chris McCarron. Once again Sunday Silence went off as 2-1 second choice behind Easy Goer at 1-2. Sunday Silence passed Blushing John at the top of the stretch and pulled ahead by a length. Easy Goer made one last late surge, but Sunday Silence prevailed by a neck.

At this point, Sunday Silence had won seven times in nine starts for the 1989 campaign, earning him Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse and Horse of the Year honors. In 1996 he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

At the age of 4, Sunday Silence managed to win the Californian and place second in the Hollywood Gold Cup. He suffered an injured ligament which eventually led to his retirement. Out of 14 career races, he never finished worse than second. He won nine of his races and placed second in five.

Retirement

After being ignored by most American breeders, Sunday Silence was eventually sold to Japanese breeder Zenya Yoshida to stand at his Shadai Stallion Station in Shiraoi, Hokkaido. Yoshida had acquired a 25% interest in Sunday Silence early in his 4-year-old season and bought out the other partners for an undisclosed amount.

Sunday Silence flourished in Japan and became their leading sire in the last decade of his life, topping their sire list from 1995 through 2007. His progeny have won many races internationally, including the Japan Cup, the Hong Kong Vase, the Dubai World Cup and the Melbourne Cup.

Death

In August 2002, Sunday Silence finally lost his battle with laminitis, suffering a fatal heart attack. In May, infection in his right leg brought on laminitis in his left leg. His owners had been discussing whether to euthanize him or not for days. On the day of his death, he lay down in his stall, could not get up, and eventually died of heart failure.

Sunday Silence was buried at Shadai Stallion Station.

Progeny

Descendants of Sunday Silence break earnings records, mainly in Asia. Conservative estimates on total winnings made by Sunday Silence descendents place the total near $500 million.

Some of his more notable progeny include:

Daughters/Sons

• Agnes Flight (1997), winner of Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1) in 2000.
• Agnes Tachyon (1998), a full brother to Agnes Flight, undefeated winner of the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (JPN Domestic G1).
• Daiwa Major, won 2006 & 2007 Mile Championship (G1), 2007 Yasuda Kinen (G1), 2004 Satsuki Sho (JPN Domestic G1), and 2006 Tenno Sho (JPN Domestic G1).
• Dance in the Dark (1993), successful sire in Japan. Winner of the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (JPN Domestic G1).
• Dance in the Mood (2001), a sister of Dance in the Dark, first Japanese racehorse of Sunday Silence descent to run in the American Oaks (US-G1), but lost to English filly Ticker Tape by a length in 2004. Previously, she had won the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (JPN Domestic G1), but lost in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (JPN Domestic G1).

Deep Impact winning Kikuka Sho 2005 on October 23.

• Deep Impact (M) (2002), winner of the Japanese Triple Crown, the Japan Cup (JPN-G1) and the Arima Kinen (JPN Domestic G1).
• Fuji Kiseki, sire of Kane Hekili (won 2005 & 2008 Japan Cup Dirt), Sun Classique(won 2008 Dubai Sheema Classic).
• Hat Trick, won 2005 Mile Championship (G1), 2005 Hong Kong Mile (G1).
• Heart's Cry (2001), winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) and Arima Kinen (JPN Domestic G1:then), and only horse to ever beat Deep Impact in Japan.
• Manhattan Cafe (1998), won 3 Japanese Domestic Grade 1 races.
• Neo Universe, won 2003 Satsuki Sho (JPN Domestic G1), 2003 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1), sired Unrivaled.
• Silence Suzuka (1994 - 1998), won six consecutive races in 1998, including the Takarazuka Kinen (JPN Domestic G1:then). Injured in the Tenno Sho (JPN Domestic G1), requiring euthanasia.
• Six Sense (2002), winner of $2.5 million, won G2 Kyoto Kinen, second in Hong Kong vase, Sha Tin, G1, Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas), Nakayama G1.
• Special Week (1995), winner of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1) in 1998, retired in 1999 with lifetime winnings of $9,346,435.
• Stay Gold (1994), earned $8,682,142 in his lifetime, won the Hong Kong Vase (HK-G1) at Sha Tin racecourse and the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G2:then) at Nad Sheba in 2001.
• Still in Love (2000), winner of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown.
• To the Victory (1996), a $5,303,281-earning mare that finished second in the 2001 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1).
• Zenno Rob Roy (2000), won three Domestic G1 races including the Japan Cup, named Horse of the Year for 2004 and champion older male by the Japan Racing Association, and earned $8,994,210 in two years.

Other descendants

• Cesario (2002), a daughter of Special Week, who won the 2005 Yushun Himba, the 2005 American Oaks (US G1) (the first US stakes race won by a Japanese bred horse since the 1950s).
• Delta Blues (2001), a son of Dance in the Dark, winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup.

Pop Culture

In the horse racing game Derby Owners Club, Sunday Silence is one of the sires available to breed in the game. He is also pictured on one of the official game cards.

References

• Sunday Silence at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
• Sunday Silence pedigree
• The Derby of Sunday Silence