Sunday Silence was better than Easy Goer

[chiguy]

Thought things were a little quite around here.....Seriously though I was watching some old races on the You Tube last night and wow were we treated to some great races and horses during our lifetime. Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, Alysheba, Cigar, Holy Bull just to name a few. We just don't have them like we used to.

[deathandgravity]

No argument here!
One of my favorites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ii3uxsveFk

[Denny]

Being a New Yorker and having seen him run so many times, including setting 1-mile track record at Aqueduct (which still stands) in person, I was a huge Easy Goer fan.

But, in retrospect think Sunday Silence may have been the better horse.
He had such better tactical speed.

Still if Day hadn't screwed up in the Preakness (something he admits) they'd be 2-2 in heads up meetings.

Also, Goer's Belmont was one of the fastest outside Secretariat. 2:26 and change if I remember.

Tough call. One thing for sure, they were both pretty great!

[Tom]

Easy Goer was New York's own.
Outside, he was second place.

[papillon]

In all of the"who's greater" debates, those in which the two horses actually raced against each other and did not end up tied, has always seemed kind of wistful, magical thinking on the part of the fan whose horse was on the losing end of the stick to me.

The greatest loss to American racing was Sunday Silence as a sire, and almost all of that was due to east coast, sore loser, Easy Goer- east coast Phipps snobbery. Easy Goer was a hall of famer 2 yo, he was a great 3 yo, but it was proved on the track that he was not as great as Sunday Silence. In a battle between Phipps, the east coast Phipps won, even though it was the west coast's Phipps' horse that proved it where it counts, on the track.

The Sunday Silence--Easy Goer debate is very similar to the Dr Fager--Damascus debate. Damascus was not Fager's equal (of course it is more than possible that the only horse to come close was his little sister). The sad part of the Fager--Damascus debate is that poor Hedivar goes down in history as a foil, when he should go down as one of the greatest sprinters in history. He was the only horse that could challenge Fager for 6f. The only one that ever was able to burn him up.

[AskinHaskin]

In all of the"who's greater" debates, those in which the two horses actually raced against each other and did not end up tied, has always seemed kind of wistful, magical thinking on the part of the fan whose horse was on the losing end of the stick to me.

The greatest loss to American racing was Sunday Silence as a sire,



Alydar’s death at 16 was a much greater loss to American racing than anything missed in Sunday Silence.

As to the first part, what explains Mioland and Challedon?

Their head-to-head score wasn’t even close and yet...

[dilanesp]

Being a New Yorker and having seen him run so many times, including setting 1-mile track record at Aqueduct (which still stands) in person, I was a huge Easy Goer fan.

But, in retrospect think Sunday Silence may have been the better horse.
He had such better tactical speed.

Still if Day hadn't screwed up in the Preakness (something he admits) they'd be 2-2 in heads up meetings.

Also, Goer's Belmont was one of the fastest outside Secretariat. 2:26 and change if I remember.

Tough call. One thing for sure, they were both pretty great!

Easy Goer had every opportunity to outduel SS in the Preakness. He couldn't. I think his fans are dead wrong on that race.

[Tom]

When Easy Goer drew off in the Belmont, I ended up with 8 large Jenny's in front of me at the FL bar. Best bet I made on horse race that day!

So he is one of my favorites of all time. :p

[GMB@BP]

Sunday Silence always got candy trips so there is that.

[Mulerider]

Sunday Silence was one of my all time favorites. Think I read he was pretty ornery, though.

[Denny]

Easy Goer had every opportunity to outduel SS in the Preakness. He couldn't. I think his fans are dead wrong on that race."

Goer should have never been on the inside.
Day screwed up and he admits it. It's one ride he always says he wishes he had back. Heard him say it.

There's no doubt who was the better stallion. SS.

[RunForTheRoses]

...but was he better than Zenyatta on synth? On dirt?

[RunForTheRoses]

Thought things were a little quite around here.....Seriously though I was watching some old races on the You Tube last night and wow were we treated to some great races and horses during our lifetime. Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, Alysheba, Cigar, Holy Bull just to name a few. We just don't have them like we used to.

One unsung horse from that era was In Excess, real badass and ran fast Beyers. That was around the time of the Racing Times or whatever Christ's paper was called.

[Wiley]

Sunday Silence was one of my all time favorites. Think I read he was pretty ornery, though.

Mine too.
Not sure if it was the Derby or another big race, but Whitingham had a big cut on his head in the pre race interview and I guess he said that Sunday had reared in the saddling stall and kicked him in the head.

I might be wrong on my memory on this one, but I also think when he was a young horse, he was being transported in a trailer when there was an accident that crashed the truck and his trailer and they found SS out of the trailer on the side of the road with some minor cuts and bruises. I think Arthur Hancock had tried to sell him also but decided to keep him after the accident, maybe he was on his way to auction prior to the wreck. I think SS saved Hancock's farm with his success from racing.

[RunForTheRoses]

One unsung horse from that era was In Excess, real badass and ran fast Beyers. That was around the time of the Racing Times or whatever Christ's paper was called.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Excess_(horse)
Stellar:

On January 19, 1991, In Excess made his first start on dirt in the San Fernando Stakes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Fernando_Stakes) at Santa Anita Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Anita_Park). Not only did he win, he set a new stakes record of 1:46 3/5 for one and one-eighth miles. [2] (http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB342B499DAFF85&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM) Sent to compete in dirt races at New York (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_(state)) tracks, In Excess swept the Metropolitan Handicap (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Handicap) in May, the Suburban Handicap (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburban_Handicap) in July in a track-record time of 1:58 1/5, the Whitney Handicap (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Handicap) in August, and the Woodward Stakes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodward_Stakes) in September in a very fast 1:46 1/5. His four wins in these major events was an accomplishment not seen since the great Kelso (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelso_(horse)) did it thirty years earlier in 1961. In Excess was a front-running horse and despite his win in the 1¼ mile Suburban Handicap, he raced best at distances of a mile to a mile and one eighth.

Now I remember this debacle:


Widely regarded as the best horse in America and the favorite for 1991 American Horse of the Year (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Horse_of_the_Year) honors, [3] (http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-16/sports/sp-1592_1_horse-racing) In Excess was scheduled to compete in the November 2 1¼ mile Breeders' Cup Classic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeders%27_Cup_Classic) on dirt. However, the field had several horses such as Farma Way (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farma_Way) and Black Tie Affair (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tie_Affair) who, like In Excess, were frontrunners, and trainer Bruce Jackson felt that the situation would make it very difficult for his horse to win, particularly at that distance. In addition, the race was to be held that year at Churchill Downs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill_Downs) and In Excess put up slow times in pre-race training on that track. As a result, his trainer elected to run him in the Breeders' Cup Mile (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeders%27_Cup_Mile) on grass, a surface he had won on in England and the United States. In Excess finished ninth in the Mile, his worst American finish ever, and it cost him the Horse of the Year title. [4] (http://articles.latimes.com/1991-10-31/sports/sp-790_1_breeders-cup)

[PaceAdvantage]

Sunday Silence is my second favorite horse of all-time, so that tells you where I stand on this old debate.

[Denny]

Sunday Silence is my second favorite horse of all-time, so that tells you where I stand on this old debate.

And Easy Goer was first.;)

[deathandgravity]

No matter which camp you are in, both horses were amazing & glad I had the opportunity to see them.

[burnsy]

Sunday Silence always got candy trips so there is that.

That's what great horses do.....they make their luck, usually with tactical speed and a high speed cruising rate.

Good horses make excuses.............

When you listen to people that favor Easy Goer....its mostly excuses.

[GMB@BP]

That's what great horses do.....they make their luck, usually with tactical speed and a high speed cruising rate.

Good horses make excuses.............

When you listen to people that favor Easy Goer....its mostly excuses.

stop it, Dollar Bill was just unlucky and was easily best in many of his races

[dilanesp]

That's what great horses do.....they make their luck, usually with tactical speed and a high speed cruising rate.

Good horses make excuses.............

When you listen to people that favor Easy Goer....its mostly excuses.

Yep.

[classhandicapper]

Sunday Silence had more natural speed and better turn of foot. He beat Easy Goer 3 out of 4 times on 3 tracks and the one time he lost was at 12 furlongs on Easy Goer's home track on a day that was biased to outside closers. They were both great, but imo Sunday Silence was better.

[burnsy]

stop it, Dollar Bill was just unlucky and was easily best in many of his races


:lol::lol::lol: Remember him? I was at the local simulcast for a race he was in....he made a huge middle move and some guys stood up screaming......I thought : "Tear em up and sit down." lol.......They should have but didn't.

Plus, Easy Goer could not carry "his" track. His best races were in NY. Sunday Silence was a cut throat, killer instinct type of horse. He won on heart and determination. Would probably run over glass to win. Easy Goer had the talent but he didn't have the stomach for a pissing contest. When he faced Sunday Silence that's what he was in for.

[dilanesp]

Sunday Silence was the slightly better horse.

But I saw Easy Goer in person at two Breeders Cups, and I still think he was the best looking horse I ever saw. Big, red, muscular, regal. He really made the same impression on me that I suppose Secretariat did on the previous generation.

EDIT: I should add one thing that makes me something of a fan of Justify this year is he looks a bit like Easy Goer. Same bright red coat.

[AskinHaskin]

Over the past 45 years just 5 North American sophomores have managed 3 consecutive Gr. I victories beyond 9 furlongs.

[GMB@BP]

Over the past 45 years just 5 North American sophomores have managed 3 consecutive Gr. I victories beyond 9 furlongs.

seems like a pretty useless stat, how many consecutive events are run >9F in north america for 3yo's?

[cj]

seems like a pretty useless stat, how many consecutive events are run >9F in north america for 3yo's?

I'm going to take a stab:

The easy ones:

American Pharoah
Secretariat
Seattle Slew
Affirmed

Easy goer is probably the 5th. I feel like the Woodward was 10f for a few years and his was one of them.

Summer Bird had three straight G1 wins at 10f or longer but mixed in a second in the shorter Haskell in the middle.

[Saratoga_Mike]

I always thought he would have been better with blinkers on.

[dilanesp]

seems like a pretty useless stat, how many consecutive events are run >9F in north america for 3yo's?

It is a phony stat because there are so few G1 races beyond 9 furlongs and it disqualifies anyone who runs in a 9 furlong race or a G2, even as a prep.

BTW, if you want to talk about EG's real distinction, start with 1:32 2/5 and 2:26 flat.

[cj]

It is a phony stat because there are so few G1 races beyond 9 furlongs and it disqualifies anyone who runs in a 9 furlong race or a G2, even as a prep.

BTW, if you want to talk about EG's real distinction, start with 1:32 2/5 and 2:26 flat.

Yeah, the only ones that are realistically on the calendar:

TC races
Travers
Pacific Classic
Jockey Club GC
BC Classic

[classhandicapper]

I'm going to take a stab:

The easy ones:

American Pharoah
Secretariat
Seattle Slew
Affirmed

Easy goer is probably the 5th. I feel like the Woodward was 10f for a few years and his was one of them.

Summer Bird had three straight G1 wins at 10f or longer but mixed in a second in the shorter Haskell in the middle.

Yep. Easy Goer

Travers, Woodward, Gold Cup.