Easy Goer
Encyclopedia
Easy Goer was an American
Champion
Hall of Fame
Thoroughbred
racehorse, famous for earning American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors in 1988, and defeating 1989 American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence
in the Belmont Stakes
by 8 lengths. The victory deprived Sunday Silence of the Triple Crown
. It was also the second fastest Belmont Stakes, behind only the record performance of Secretariat
in 1973. Easy Goer was also famous for running the fastest mile ever run on dirt by any three year old in the history of thoroughbred racing, with a time of 1:32 2/5, just one-fifth of a second off the world record set by Dr. Fager
in 1968. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
, Easy Goer is ranked #34.
, Easy Goer was a son of Alydar
, out of the 1981 American Champion Older Female Horse Relaxing (by Horse of the Year
Buckpasser
). Trained by Shug McGaughey and always ridden by Pat Day
, the bright chestnut
colt
with the white star in the middle of his forehead was a long-striding, massive, powerhouse stalker who won 14 of his 20 races, and placed second five times, including three runner-up finishes to arch-rival Sunday Silence. (see below)
At two, he won the Grade I
Cowdin Stakes
, and the Grade I Champagne Stakes
, with his 1:34 4/5 final time for the mile tied fourth fastest in Champagne Stakes history, behind Vitriolic, Seattle Slew
and Devil's Bag
. He also had won his maiden race at 7 furlongs at Saratoga Race Course
and, as his trainer Shug McGaughey stated, "Running two or three seconds faster than the split of the race." He then won an allowance race at Belmont Park at 6 1/2 furlongs, running one fifth of a second off the track record in 1:15 2/5,and his trainer proclaimed, "Then I knew I was training something special." He also finished second in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile
at Churchill Downs, on a muddy track to Is It True
, whom he had defeated three times earlier in the year. He was named Champion 2-year-old colt and was the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby
.
At three he took the Swale Stakes
in the fastest 7 furlongs of the Gulfstream Park
meeting in a time of 1:22 1/5, the Grade II
Gotham Stakes
, the Grade I Wood Memorial, the Grade I Belmont Stakes, the Grade I Whitney Stakes, the Grade I Travers Stakes
, the Grade I Woodward Stakes
, and the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup
. In the Gotham, Easy Goer's winning time of 1:32 2/5 for the mile set a new track record, was the fastest mile ever run on dirt surface by any three year old thoroughbred
in history to this day, and was 1/5 of a second off of Dr. Fager
's world record. Easy Goer also missed the stakes and track record in the Whitney by 2/5 of a second (established by Fred W. Hooper's Tri Jet), and the Travers by 4/5 of a second (held by General Assembly
). In 3 of these races (Whitney, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup), Easy Goer defeated older horses, becoming one of the few 3-year-olds in modern American racing history to accomplish such a feat. Easy Goer is the only horse in history to win the Whitney, Travers Stakes, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Additionally, he is one of only two horses to win the Champagne, Belmont Stakes and Travers. He was one of the last American-trained horses to win two Grade I races at a mile and a half on dirt (Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup). Easy Goer's 1989 3-year-old campaign was most likely the greatest in American racing history, without yielding any year end championship awards.
At four, Easy Goer won the Gold Stage Stakes and the Grade I Suburban Handicap
(3/5 of a second off Alysheba
's existing track record). He was also third in the Grade I Metropolitan Mile, marking the only time Easy Goer did not finish either first or second. Easy Goer was beaten by a little more than a length, behind eventual Horse of the Year Criminal Type
and two-time sprint champion Housebuster
, while carrying considerably more weight than those two. In Easy Goer's 20 race career, he was never defeated by more than 2½ lengths.
Before a leg injury ended his racing days, Easy Goer earned $4,873,770.
in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile the previous year on a similar muddy track to Is It True, whom he had defeated three times earlier that year. Sunday Silence won despite not keeping a straight path through the stretch while 2½ lengths clear of the field.
After the Derby, both horses returned to action in the second jewel of the Triple Crown: the Preakness Stakes
. Easy Goer broke poorly when he dwelt at the start, breaking in the air, but was able to get within 4 1/2 lengths of the leader, and within 3 lengths of his rival with a mile remaining in the 1 3/16 mile race. Easy Goer was then sent through an extremely fast, early move down the backstretch by his jockey Pat Day. Easy Goer had a 2 length lead over his rival with a half mile remaining. But Sunday Silence challenged, with both horses running the fastest mile split in Preakness history in 1:34 1/5, and earned the win by a nose in a fast final time of 1:53 4/5,following a thrilling head-to-head duel for the final quarter mile, reminiscent of the great Dr. Fager
/Damascus
, Swaps/Nashua
, Majestic Prince
/Arts and Letters
, and Affirmed
/Alydar
rivalries. Day was criticized for reining Easy Goer's head sideways to the right in deep stretch right before the finish line. Day criticized himself as well, quoted after the race as saying, "It was absolute rider error" for moving Easy Goer prematurely through a very quick move into a very fast pace, from the 3/4 to 1/2 mile and gaining the lead with a half mile remaining.
The two met again in the final jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, known as "The Test of the Champion" and "Run for the Carnations." Sunday Silence went off odds-on favorite, backed by his two wins against Easy Goer and attempting to earn American racing's most elusive achievement, the Triple Crown. This time, Easy Goer was at his best and defeated his rival by 8 lengths in 2:26, which seemed to vindicate his reputation. The final time marked the second best performance in the history of the race, with only the immortal Secretariat
ever racing faster for the event at the world record dirt track time of 2:24.
The rivalry resumed for the final time in the Breeders' Cup Classic
, run on November 4 at 1¼ miles. With champion honors at stake and their rivalry reaching a zenith, the race was labeled "Race of the Decade" by the thoroughbred media. Easy Goer was favored by the wagering public, based on his Belmont Stakes win and subsequent four Grade I wins, with three of those wins against older horses, most recently in the longer distanced 1½ miles Jockey Club Gold Cup. Sunday Silence was second choice, with two races in the 5 months between the Belmont and the Breeders' Cup: a second to eventual Breeders' Cup Turf
winner Prized in the Grade II Swaps Stakes
on July 23, and a win in the Super Derby
on September 24. Sunday Silence's regular rider, Patrick Valenzuela, had recently been suspended for cocaine use. Trainer Charles E. Whittingham, needing to choose another rider, assigned the mount to Chris McCarron
. Easy Goer, early on rated eleven lengths behind the brisk opening fractions of 22:2/5 and 46:1/5, got near his rival at the half mile point and appeared to be full of run. Sunday Silence then made a charge turning for home and gained the lead in the final furlong, 4 lengths ahead of Easy Goer. Easy Goer made a furious late finish, but wound up losing by a neck to Sunday Silence, who was under strong urging by McCarron, at the end showing the horse the whip with his left hand, with a final time of 2:00 1/5. The victory assured Sunday Silence Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse
and Horse of the Year honors for 1989.
in Paris, Kentucky. He had the ultimate honor of occupying the number one stall in the number one barn. His stall was previously occupied by Bold Ruler
and Secretariat
. When only eight years old, Easy Goer was turned out for exercise one day, and spent the time bucking and racing around his pasture. According to Thomas Swerczek, D.V.M., Ph.D. (a veterinary pathologist at the University of Kentucky
) in his 1994 postmortem examination of Easy Goer, that effort caused a sudden, massive allergic reaction.
"Typically what happens is that you give a horse penicillin
for four or five days and on the sixth day, he may get a mild case of anaphylactic shock," Swerczek said. "If the horse isn't turned out, he'll go right through it all right, but if you turn him out and he gets to running around, he may drop dead from a subtle type of hypertension from a combination of exercise and the reaction from the penicillin. I've even seen horses given a shot of penicillin and loaded onto a van who dropped dead on the van from the combination of stress and the shot. It has nothing to do with the heart per se, but rather a general reaction that causes pooling of blood due to the anaphylaxis."
Like humans, some horses are acutely allergic to bee stings and experience other allergies as well.
Upon his premature death, Easy Goer was buried at Claiborne Farm
where many past champion Thoroughbreds are buried, including Secretariat
, Buckpasser
and Bold Ruler
.
At stud, in just a few crops before his premature death, he sired three Grade I winners: the colt Will's Way (who won the Whitney Handicap and Travers Stakes just like his sire. Will's Way in turn, sired the Grade I Cigar Mile Handicap
winner Lion Tamer) and the fillies Furlough (winner of the Grade I Ballerina Handicap
and dam of Stakes Winners Happy Hunting and Pardon) and My Flag
(winner of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
and 3 other Grade I wins). He also sired Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes
winner Composer, and the stakes winning mares Relaxing Rhythm(Winner of the Grade II Molly Pitcher Handicap), Smooth Charmer and Jetto. My Flag
, the product of a mating with the 1996 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year
, Personal Ensign
, is the dam of champion filly Storm Flag Flying
, and the stakes placed On Parade(dam of multiple stakes winner Parading, who stands at Claiborne Farm), and stakes winner With Flying Colors. Personal Ensign
(1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff
), My Flag
(1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
), and Storm Flag Flying
(2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
) were the first three-generation consecutive winners of Breeders' Cup races.
Easy Goer is also proving to be an influential broodmare sire, with Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
winner and Eclipse Award
Champion Storm Flag Flying
, Grade I Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
and Metropolitan Handicap
(Grade I) winner Corinthian
, Coaching Club American Oaks
(Grade I) and Shuvee Handicap
(Grade II) winner Funny Moon, Blue Grass Stakes
(Grade I) winner Monba, French 2000 Guineas
(Group 1) winner Astronomer Royal, Yellow Ribbon Stakes
(Grade I), Del Mar Oaks
(Grade I), Gamely Stakes(Grade I) and John C. Mabee Handicap
(Grade I) winner Magical Fantasy, promising young sire Mull of Kintyre(Winner of the Group II Gimcrack Stakes
in England), stakes winners Happy Hunting(Winner of the Grade III Aqueduct Handicap
), Spring Waltz(Winner of the Grade II Rampart Handicap
), Navesink River(Winner of the Grade II Pan American Handicap
), Desert Hero(Winner of the Grade II San Rafael Stakes
), Sea Chanter, Sue's Good News, Unbridled Jet, Easyfromthegitgo, Nolan's Cat, Easy Grades,Pardon and the aforementioned Storm Flag Flying
and her half sister With Flying Colors (who was sired by A.P. Indy
) among his daughter's offspring.
In 1997, Easy Goer was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
, the ultimate honor in Thoroughbred racing.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse, famous for earning American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors in 1988, and defeating 1989 American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, 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 by Understanding. Though he was registered as a dark bay/brown, he was in...
in the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
by 8 lengths. The victory deprived Sunday Silence of the Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
. It was also the second fastest Belmont Stakes, behind only the record performance of Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
in 1973. Easy Goer was also famous for running the fastest mile ever run on dirt by any three year old in the history of thoroughbred racing, with a time of 1:32 2/5, just one-fifth of a second off the world record set by Dr. Fager
Dr. Fager
Dr. Fager was an American a thoroughbred racehorse who had what many consider one of the greatest single racing seasons by any horse in the history of the sport. "The Doctor" was the only horse who ever held four titles in one year...
in 1968. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
In 1999, a panel for The Blood-Horse magazine was made up of distinguished horse racing people: Howard Battle, Lenny Hale, Jay Hovdey, William Nack, Pete Pedersen, Jennie Rees and Tommy Trotter. These experts compiled a list of what they considered to be the top 100 United States thoroughbred...
, Easy Goer is ranked #34.
Racing career
Homebred and owned by Ogden PhippsOgden Phipps
Ogden Phipps was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist...
, Easy Goer was a son of Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
, out of the 1981 American Champion Older Female Horse Relaxing (by Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
Buckpasser
Buckpasser
Buckpasser was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won he won nine of his eleven race starts for international record winnings for a two-year-old of $586,090. Buckpasser was leading broodmare sire in 1983, 1984 and 1989....
). Trained by Shug McGaughey and always ridden by Pat Day
Pat Day
Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...
, the bright chestnut
Chestnut (color)
Chestnut, also known as Indian red, is a color, a medium brownish shade of red, and is named after the nut of the chestnut tree.As Indian red, it is named after the red laterite soil found in India. It is thus an earth tone as well as a red. It is composed of naturally occurring iron oxides. Other...
colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
with the white star in the middle of his forehead was a long-striding, massive, powerhouse stalker who won 14 of his 20 races, and placed second five times, including three runner-up finishes to arch-rival Sunday Silence. (see below)
At two, he won the Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Cowdin Stakes
Cowdin Stakes
The Cowdin Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack and at Belmont Park. First run in 1923 as the Junior Champion Stakes, it was renamed the Cowdin Stakes in 1941 to honor to John Cheever Cowdin, former president of Aqueduct Racetrack.The race was for...
, and the Grade I Champagne Stakes
Champagne Stakes (USA)
The Champagne Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old horses. The race is run at a distance of one mile on the dirt at Belmont Park in October each year. It is nested exclusively by colts....
, with his 1:34 4/5 final time for the mile tied fourth fastest in Champagne Stakes history, behind Vitriolic, Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
and Devil's Bag
Devil's Bag
Devil's Bag was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was syndicated as a two-year-old for US$36 million, the highest price for any 2-year-old in racing history.Bred by Canadian E. P...
. He also had won his maiden race at 7 furlongs at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
and, as his trainer Shug McGaughey stated, "Running two or three seconds faster than the split of the race." He then won an allowance race at Belmont Park at 6 1/2 furlongs, running one fifth of a second off the track record in 1:15 2/5,and his trainer proclaimed, "Then I knew I was training something special." He also finished second in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
at Churchill Downs, on a muddy track to Is It True
Is It True
Is It True was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Warner L. Jones at his Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Kentucky, he was purchased by Eugene Klein who handed him over to trainer D. Wayne Lukas for race conditioning....
, whom he had defeated three times earlier in the year. He was named Champion 2-year-old colt and was the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
.
At three he took the Swale Stakes
Swale Stakes
The Swale Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A Grade II sprint race for three-year-olds, it is run on dirt over a distance of 7 furlongs...
in the fastest 7 furlongs of the Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
meeting in a time of 1:22 1/5, the Grade II
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Gotham Stakes
Gotham Stakes
The Gotham Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A Grade III event with a purse of $250,000, it is set at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt...
, the Grade I Wood Memorial, the Grade I Belmont Stakes, the Grade I Whitney Stakes, the Grade I Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
, the Grade I Woodward Stakes
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, George Nicholas Woodward, it is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.The Woodward was run as a handicap in...
, and the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
. In the Gotham, Easy Goer's winning time of 1:32 2/5 for the mile set a new track record, was the fastest mile ever run on dirt surface by any three year old thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
in history to this day, and was 1/5 of a second off of Dr. Fager
Dr. Fager
Dr. Fager was an American a thoroughbred racehorse who had what many consider one of the greatest single racing seasons by any horse in the history of the sport. "The Doctor" was the only horse who ever held four titles in one year...
's world record. Easy Goer also missed the stakes and track record in the Whitney by 2/5 of a second (established by Fred W. Hooper's Tri Jet), and the Travers by 4/5 of a second (held by General Assembly
General Assembly (horse)
General Assembly was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred and raced by the prominent husband-and-wife team of Bertram and Diana Firestone, of Upperville, Virginia. General Assembly was out of the mare Exclusive Dancer, daughter of Hall of Fame inductee and American Horse of the Year...
). In 3 of these races (Whitney, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup), Easy Goer defeated older horses, becoming one of the few 3-year-olds in modern American racing history to accomplish such a feat. Easy Goer is the only horse in history to win the Whitney, Travers Stakes, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Additionally, he is one of only two horses to win the Champagne, Belmont Stakes and Travers. He was one of the last American-trained horses to win two Grade I races at a mile and a half on dirt (Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup). Easy Goer's 1989 3-year-old campaign was most likely the greatest in American racing history, without yielding any year end championship awards.
At four, Easy Goer won the Gold Stage Stakes and the Grade I Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
(3/5 of a second off Alysheba
Alysheba
Alysheba was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners....
's existing track record). He was also third in the Grade I Metropolitan Mile, marking the only time Easy Goer did not finish either first or second. Easy Goer was beaten by a little more than a length, behind eventual Horse of the Year Criminal Type
Criminal Type
Criminal Type was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He won two Eclipse Awards in 1990.-Background:A descendant of Nearco, he was bred at the famed Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky and owned in partnership with Jurgen K. Arnemann...
and two-time sprint champion Housebuster
Housebuster
Housebuster was an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by graded stakes race winner Mt. Livermore out of the Great Above mare, Big Dreams....
, while carrying considerably more weight than those two. In Easy Goer's 20 race career, he was never defeated by more than 2½ lengths.
Before a leg injury ended his racing days, Easy Goer earned $4,873,770.
Rivalry with Sunday Silence
Champion Easy Goer was most remembered for his great rivalry with Sunday Silence, with a 1-3 record against the champion. The two first met in the 1989 Kentucky Derby, with Easy Goer installed as the morning-line favorite. The track came up muddy, and Sunday Silence came out on top with a 2½ length victory, winning the Run for the Roses in the slow time of 2:05. Easy Goer's performance was apparently affected by the difficult footing, as his rider Pat Day stated, "Easy Goer simply did not handle the race track and never got out of second gear." Easy Goer had also finished second at Churchill DownsChurchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile the previous year on a similar muddy track to Is It True, whom he had defeated three times earlier that year. Sunday Silence won despite not keeping a straight path through the stretch while 2½ lengths clear of the field.
After the Derby, both horses returned to action in the second jewel of the Triple Crown: the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
. Easy Goer broke poorly when he dwelt at the start, breaking in the air, but was able to get within 4 1/2 lengths of the leader, and within 3 lengths of his rival with a mile remaining in the 1 3/16 mile race. Easy Goer was then sent through an extremely fast, early move down the backstretch by his jockey Pat Day. Easy Goer had a 2 length lead over his rival with a half mile remaining. But Sunday Silence challenged, with both horses running the fastest mile split in Preakness history in 1:34 1/5, and earned the win by a nose in a fast final time of 1:53 4/5,following a thrilling head-to-head duel for the final quarter mile, reminiscent of the great Dr. Fager
Dr. Fager
Dr. Fager was an American a thoroughbred racehorse who had what many consider one of the greatest single racing seasons by any horse in the history of the sport. "The Doctor" was the only horse who ever held four titles in one year...
/Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Swaps/Nashua
Nashua
Nashua may refer to:* Nashaway, Native American tribe living in 17th-century New England-Places:In the Commonwealth of Australia:* Nashua, New South WalesIn the United States of America:* Nashua, California* Nashua, Iowa...
, Majestic Prince
Majestic Prince
Majestic Prince was a Thoroughbred racehorse purchased by Calgary, Alberta oilman Frank McMahon at the Keeneland yearling sale in September 1967 for a then record price of $250,000...
/Arts and Letters
Arts and Letters
Arts and Letters was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.Owned and bred by American sportsman and noted philanthropist Paul Mellon, and trained by future Hall of Famer Elliott Burch, the colt began racing at age two...
, and Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
/Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
rivalries. Day was criticized for reining Easy Goer's head sideways to the right in deep stretch right before the finish line. Day criticized himself as well, quoted after the race as saying, "It was absolute rider error" for moving Easy Goer prematurely through a very quick move into a very fast pace, from the 3/4 to 1/2 mile and gaining the lead with a half mile remaining.
The two met again in the final jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, known as "The Test of the Champion" and "Run for the Carnations." Sunday Silence went off odds-on favorite, backed by his two wins against Easy Goer and attempting to earn American racing's most elusive achievement, the Triple Crown. This time, Easy Goer was at his best and defeated his rival by 8 lengths in 2:26, which seemed to vindicate his reputation. The final time marked the second best performance in the history of the race, with only the immortal Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
ever racing faster for the event at the world record dirt track time of 2:24.
The rivalry resumed for the final time in the Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
, run on November 4 at 1¼ miles. With champion honors at stake and their rivalry reaching a zenith, the race was labeled "Race of the Decade" by the thoroughbred media. Easy Goer was favored by the wagering public, based on his Belmont Stakes win and subsequent four Grade I wins, with three of those wins against older horses, most recently in the longer distanced 1½ miles Jockey Club Gold Cup. Sunday Silence was second choice, with two races in the 5 months between the Belmont and the Breeders' Cup: a second to eventual Breeders' Cup Turf
Breeders' Cup Turf
The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.The forerunner...
winner Prized in the Grade II Swaps Stakes
Swaps Stakes
The Swaps Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $350,000.Run in mid July, this race is...
on July 23, and a win in the Super Derby
Super Derby
The Super Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in September at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana.Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to 3-year-olds and the distance is 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it's the richest race held at Louisiana Downs...
on September 24. Sunday Silence's regular rider, Patrick Valenzuela, had recently been suspended for cocaine use. Trainer Charles E. Whittingham, needing to choose another rider, assigned the mount to Chris McCarron
Chris McCarron
Christopher John "Chris" McCarron is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He is currently working as a racing analyst for TVG Network....
. Easy Goer, early on rated eleven lengths behind the brisk opening fractions of 22:2/5 and 46:1/5, got near his rival at the half mile point and appeared to be full of run. Sunday Silence then made a charge turning for home and gained the lead in the final furlong, 4 lengths ahead of Easy Goer. Easy Goer made a furious late finish, but wound up losing by a neck to Sunday Silence, who was under strong urging by McCarron, at the end showing the horse the whip with his left hand, with a final time of 2:00 1/5. The victory assured Sunday Silence Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse
The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
and Horse of the Year honors for 1989.
As a sire
After his retirement from racing, Easy Goer stood stud at the famed Claiborne FarmClaiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...
in Paris, Kentucky. He had the ultimate honor of occupying the number one stall in the number one barn. His stall was previously occupied by Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
and Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
. When only eight years old, Easy Goer was turned out for exercise one day, and spent the time bucking and racing around his pasture. According to Thomas Swerczek, D.V.M., Ph.D. (a veterinary pathologist at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
) in his 1994 postmortem examination of Easy Goer, that effort caused a sudden, massive allergic reaction.
"Typically what happens is that you give a horse penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
for four or five days and on the sixth day, he may get a mild case of anaphylactic shock," Swerczek said. "If the horse isn't turned out, he'll go right through it all right, but if you turn him out and he gets to running around, he may drop dead from a subtle type of hypertension from a combination of exercise and the reaction from the penicillin. I've even seen horses given a shot of penicillin and loaded onto a van who dropped dead on the van from the combination of stress and the shot. It has nothing to do with the heart per se, but rather a general reaction that causes pooling of blood due to the anaphylaxis."
Like humans, some horses are acutely allergic to bee stings and experience other allergies as well.
Upon his premature death, Easy Goer was buried at Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...
where many past champion Thoroughbreds are buried, including Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
, Buckpasser
Buckpasser
Buckpasser was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won he won nine of his eleven race starts for international record winnings for a two-year-old of $586,090. Buckpasser was leading broodmare sire in 1983, 1984 and 1989....
and Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
.
At stud, in just a few crops before his premature death, he sired three Grade I winners: the colt Will's Way (who won the Whitney Handicap and Travers Stakes just like his sire. Will's Way in turn, sired the Grade I Cigar Mile Handicap
Cigar Mile Handicap
The Cigar Mile Handicap is an American race for thoroughbred horses at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York. Run annually in late November, it is named in honor of the U.S. Hall of Fame horse Cigar, who won the race in 1994 when it was known as the NYRA Mile. Renamed in 1997 following Cigar's retirement,...
winner Lion Tamer) and the fillies Furlough (winner of the Grade I Ballerina Handicap
Ballerina Handicap
The Ballerina Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade I event is contested each year during the last week of August at Saratoga Race Course and is open to fillies and mares, ages three and up...
and dam of Stakes Winners Happy Hunting and Pardon) and My Flag
My Flag
My Flag is an American Thoroughbred Filly Racehorse. She was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps and trained by National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Trainer Claude R. McGaughey III...
(winner of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
and 3 other Grade I wins). He also sired Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes
Jim Dandy Stakes
The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. It carries a purse of $500,000. Prior...
winner Composer, and the stakes winning mares Relaxing Rhythm(Winner of the Grade II Molly Pitcher Handicap), Smooth Charmer and Jetto. My Flag
My Flag
My Flag is an American Thoroughbred Filly Racehorse. She was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps and trained by National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Trainer Claude R. McGaughey III...
, the product of a mating with the 1996 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year
Kentucky Broodmare of the Year
The list that follows is of the all the mares that have won the honor of being named Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Mares are selected each year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Mares are graded by the success of offspring just like stallions in regards to the Leading...
, Personal Ensign
Personal Ensign
Personal Ensign was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse.A bay filly by Private Account out of Grecian Banner , she was the undefeated winner of 13 races and won $1,679,880 in the United States from 1986 to 1988...
, is the dam of champion filly Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2002, Storm Flag Flying won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, a race won by her dam in 1995. She also won the Frizette Stakes and Matron Stakes in her championship two year old season...
, and the stakes placed On Parade(dam of multiple stakes winner Parading, who stands at Claiborne Farm), and stakes winner With Flying Colors. Personal Ensign
Personal Ensign
Personal Ensign was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse.A bay filly by Private Account out of Grecian Banner , she was the undefeated winner of 13 races and won $1,679,880 in the United States from 1986 to 1988...
(1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff
Breeders' Cup Distaff
The Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Distaff from its inception in 1984 through 2007, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders'...
), My Flag
My Flag
My Flag is an American Thoroughbred Filly Racehorse. She was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps and trained by National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Trainer Claude R. McGaughey III...
(1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
), and Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2002, Storm Flag Flying won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, a race won by her dam in 1995. She also won the Frizette Stakes and Matron Stakes in her championship two year old season...
(2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
) were the first three-generation consecutive winners of Breeders' Cup races.
Easy Goer is also proving to be an influential broodmare sire, with Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
winner and Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
Champion Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2002, Storm Flag Flying won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, a race won by her dam in 1995. She also won the Frizette Stakes and Matron Stakes in her championship two year old season...
, Grade I Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and is run on a dirt course...
and Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
(Grade I) winner Corinthian
Corinthian (horse)
Corinthian is an American Thoroughbred racehorse.He was purchased at the Fasig-Tipton 2004 Saratoga yearling sale for $385,000 by the Centennial Farms racing partnership led by Donald V. Little Sr...
, Coaching Club American Oaks
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
(Grade I) and Shuvee Handicap
Shuvee Handicap
The Shuvee Handicap is an American race Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run in mid May, it is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, who are willing to race one mile on the dirt. A Grade II event, it offers a purse of $150,000...
(Grade II) winner Funny Moon, Blue Grass Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
(Grade I) winner Monba, French 2000 Guineas
Poule d'Essai des Poulains
The Poule d'Essai des Poulains, sometimes referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts...
(Group 1) winner Astronomer Royal, Yellow Ribbon Stakes
Yellow Ribbon Stakes
The Yellow Ribbon Stakes is a Grade I race for thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards. It is raced during the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting at Santa Anita Park in late September / early October. It is a major prep race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and is...
(Grade I), Del Mar Oaks
Del Mar Oaks
The Del Mar Oaks is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid August at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. Open to three-year-old fillies, it is contested at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf...
(Grade I), Gamely Stakes(Grade I) and John C. Mabee Handicap
John C. Mabee Handicap
The John C. Mabee Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race contested in early August at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. It is run on the turf for fillies and mares, age three or older, at a distance of one and one-eighth miles. Downgraded to a Grade II stakes in 2010, the...
(Grade I) winner Magical Fantasy, promising young sire Mull of Kintyre(Winner of the Group II Gimcrack Stakes
Gimcrack Stakes
The Gimcrack Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
in England), stakes winners Happy Hunting(Winner of the Grade III Aqueduct Handicap
Aqueduct Handicap
The race is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. It was called the Aqueduct Handicap, but beginning in 2009, the name was changed to the Evening Attire Stakes in honor of the great grey gelding Evening Attire. He raced until he was 10 years...
), Spring Waltz(Winner of the Grade II Rampart Handicap
Rampart Handicap
The Rampart Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second week of March at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida...
), Navesink River(Winner of the Grade II Pan American Handicap
Pan American Handicap
The Pan American Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of March at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida...
), Desert Hero(Winner of the Grade II San Rafael Stakes
San Rafael Stakes
The San Rafael Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park, located in Arcadia, California. The race is a Grade III event with a purse of $150,000 and is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile on the facility's Cushion Track synthetic dirt race track.Prior to...
), Sea Chanter, Sue's Good News, Unbridled Jet, Easyfromthegitgo, Nolan's Cat, Easy Grades,Pardon and the aforementioned Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying
Storm Flag Flying is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2002, Storm Flag Flying won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, a race won by her dam in 1995. She also won the Frizette Stakes and Matron Stakes in her championship two year old season...
and her half sister With Flying Colors (who was sired by A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
) among his daughter's offspring.
In 1997, Easy Goer was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
, the ultimate honor in Thoroughbred racing.