| 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 | March 25, 1986 Paris, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2002 (aged 16) Abira, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Black/Brown |
| Breeder | Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds, Ltd. |
| Owner | H-G-W Partners Racing colors: Gray, yellow sash, sleeves and cap |
| Trainer | Charlie Whittingham |
| Record | 14: 9–5–0 |
| Earnings | $4,968,554[1] |
| Major wins | |
| Santa Anita Derby (1989) San Felipe Stakes (1989) Super Derby (1989) Californian Stakes (1990) American Triple Crown wins: Kentucky Derby (1989) Preakness Stakes (1989) Breeders' Cup wins: Breeders' Cup Classic (1989) | |
| Awards | |
| U.S. Champion 3-Year-Old Colt (1989) United States Horse of the Year (1989) Leading broodmare sire in North America (2016, 2019,2020) | |
| Honors | |
| 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 (March 25, 1986 – August 19, 2002) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1989, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Crown when he was defeated in the Belmont Stakes. Nevertheless, he won the Breeders' Cup Classic and was voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Colt and American Horse of the Year that same year. Sunday Silence's racing career was marked by his rivalry with Easy Goer, whom he had a three to one edge over in their head-to-head races.[2] Easy Goer, the 1988 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt finished second to Sunday Silence in the Kentucky Derby the Preakness, and the Breeders' Cup Classic. However, Easy Goer prevailed by eight lengths in the Belmont denying Sunday Silence the Triple Crown. Both horses were later voted into the American Hall of Fame.
After his retirement from racing, Sunday Silence attracted little support by breeders in the United States and was exported to Japan. He was the Leading Sire in Japan on thirteen occasions, surpassing the previous record of ten titles by Northern Taste. Although the relatively insular nature of Japanese racing at the time meant that Sunday Silence's success was initially restricted to his home territory, his descendants have in recent years won major races in Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the United States and Dubai.[3] Blood-Horse pedigree expert Anne Peters speculated, "Had Sunday Silence retired in Kentucky, it's almost certain he would have tanked commercially and been exported in disgrace, but he found his perfect gene pool and thrived instead."[4] He would later be the leading broodmare sire in North America in 2016.
In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, Sunday Silence was ranked #31.
- ^ "National Museum of Racing, Hall of Fame, Thoroughbred Horses". Racingmuseum.org. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
- ^ Richard Sowers (2014-02-07). The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes: A Comprehensive History. MacFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 9780786476985. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- ^ "Leading Sires of Japan". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
- ^ Peters, Anne (May 29, 2013). "Pedigree: Kentucky Derby Winners as Sires". The Blood-Horse.