May 17, 2012

Sunday Silence and the 1989 Preakness Negatives

Stokely Baksh 0 Comment From the Vault, Preakness, Sports, The Baltimore Sun 1989, Charlie Whittingham, From the Vault, horse racing, Preakness, Sunday Silence, Wayne Lucas

6 photos

Sunday Silence might have lacked pedigree, some would say, but in 1989 he had the Cinderella story, he was the winning underdog who went on to be one of America’s greatest racehorses, and he’d probably even be a card-carrying member of today’s 99%, if he were still alive.

If you were going to bet on a horse to win the Preakness Stakes in 1989, a great bet would have been on 3-year-old colt Sunday Silence. That year, Sunday Silence won not only the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Breeders’ Cup Classic, but also the Santa Anita Derby, San Felipe Stakes and Super Derby, earning several accolades including “United States Horse of the Year.” In 1990, Sunday Silence suffered an injury that led to his retirement. Passed over by American breeders, he was bought by Japanese breeder Zenya Yoshida, and would go on to become one of Japan’s leading sires.

Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1996, Sunday Silence never placed lower than second in 14 career starts, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame.

Here are negatives from The Sun’s archives leading up to the 1989 Preakness. Most of the photos feature Sunday Silence with trainer Charlie Whittingham. Other notable racehorses featured include rival Easy Goer as well as Dansil, Houston and Hawkster.
Click on the negative to increase size, then double-click again to magnify image and explore.

: May 16, 1989 Negatives: Sunday Silence walks out through the mud to the track (6-8), trainer Charlie Whittingham watches as his horse takes to a muddy track (9-12), Whittingham along with Charles Clay crub down Sunday Silence after a short workout (24-33).

: May 16, 1989: Sunday Silence is walked out to the track and then goes for a short run with rider Pam Mabes (3-28).

: May 16, 1989 Negatives: Horses work out on the sloppy track conditions at Pimlico – Non-Preakness (7-12), Hawkster on the track with Pam Mabes (13-21).

: May 18, 1989 Negatives: Sunday Silence (13-22), Easy Goer on the track (26-36), and Wayne Lucas.

: May 18, 1989 Negatives: Dansil in the wash (3-8), Wayne Lucas looks over his horse Houston from the saddle (9-21), and Houston gets bath and grass while Wayne Lucas looks on (26-end).

: May, 18, 1989 Negatives: Dansil gets scrub down in the morning light (6-21), Chick Lang (22-24), Wayne Lucas looks over his horse Houston (25-30) and Charlie Whittingham and Sunday Silence (33-35).