TV Broadcast of the 1989 Breeder's Cup Classic. Called "The Race of the Decade", this 1 1/4 mile race was the fourth and final race between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.
Easy Goer and Sunday Silence certainly were two of the best. What a rivalry. Both Easy Goer and Sunday Silence are underrated to me. They came from the largest foal crop ever of over 50,000 foals, plus other competitors from other huge foal crops in the 1980's. Easy Goer and Sunday Silence most likely denied the other immortality, as both horses most likely would have been immortal Triple Crown winners if not for the other.
Easy Goer's brilliance, acceleration, speed, power and stamina was magnificent at all distances of ground that he ran; from six and a half furlongs to a mile and a half. And what he accomplished after the Triple Crown races was monumental. Both Easy Goer and Sunday Silence indeed were Triple Crown quality horses. Both were the real deal superstars.
Both great horses, and a thrilling fantastic race from both horses. Something I've always liked about Easy Goer, was his smooth and easy power, and stamina. If this race was 1.5 miles like the Belmont, Easy Goer wins it quite easy, as you can see him toward the end of this race, closing in on Sunday's Silence, but ran out of real estate. Also Goer's jockey holds him back too long, before making a move. This has cost Easy Goer some wins in my opinion. I'm a Seattle Slew, and Easy Goer fan, and you can't help but admire the sure greatness of Secretariat.
I was there for this race. Still one of the most exciting ever. Both Sunday Silence and Easy Goer were amazing on equal terms. But in the record books..Sunday Silence holds the edge.
Easy Goer in the breeding shed? Easy Goer tragically died very young, with only a few crops, only 135 foals, 53 mares. "There are many reasons to regret the early loss of Easy Goer, who combined blistering speed over a mile with thoroughly genuine stamina." Sire, Broodmare Sire, GrandSire & Great GrandSire to many: Corinthian (won G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, G1 Met Mile etc), Storm Flag Flying (Champion 2 year old filly, won G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1 Personal Ensign, G1 Frizette, G1 Matron etc), My Flag (won G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1 CCA Oaks, G1 Ashland, G1 Gazelle etc), Will's Way (won G1 Whitney, G1 Travers etc), Lion Tamer (won G1 Cigar Mile,etc), Magical Fantasy (won G1 Gamely, G1 Yellow Ribbon, G1 Del Mar Oaks, G1 John Mabee, etc), Mull of Kyntire, Astronomer Royal (won G1 French 2,000 Guineas etc), Furlough G1 Ballerina etc), Composer (won Jim Dandy etc), Relaxing Rhythm (won Molly Pitcher etc), Monba (G1 Blue Grass), Funny Moon (G1 CCA Oaks, Shuvee etc), Araafa (won G1 St. James Palace, G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas,etc) etc. Given Easy Goer’s own superb pedigree and the quality of mates he received during his few seasons at Claiborne, there is every reason to believe that he would have made an even more significant contribution had he lived longer." "Easy Goer was Adonis-like, the closest thing physically to Secretariat. He was plagued by terrible ankles his entire career, but was placed upon a throne at an early age and validated all the admiration and exaltation. Easy Goer had bad shins (needed pinfiring), puffy, problematic ankles, a clubfoot, and a deformed, turned-out left knee. Easy Goer was a glowing chestnut with a fluid stride that belied his short pasterns and less than perfect feet. Pasterns notwithstanding, he had the look of greatness, and he ran to his looks."
ERNIE'S words will live FOREVER! He says, "Hall of Fame champion Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32, second fastest Belmont of all time,many of the most historic races won by many Hall of Fame horses on or near track records at every distance. He deserved better in that superb campaign he was put through." Words that will live forever in infamy
Easy Goer and S.S. Two greats. Easy Goer, like a shot with a very bold, bold burst of speed down the backside, then geared down, then another bold, bold burst of speed gobbling up real estate, finishing with a flourish, one jump short by a very rapidly diminishing neck, soaring by.
Ernie states and stated this: "EASY GOER was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three yr old mile of all time, second fastest Belmont of all time. He deserved much better than to be put through that amazing campaign he was put through." Those words live forever.
That was totally expected because he was ridden by Pat ron franklin esque Day. Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a "teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it." Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
Sunday Silence had a tendency to lose focus and drift when he had a lead. Notice how Chris McCarron looks back as they go down the stretch, sees Easy Goer coming, and then shows SS the stick, getting SS to pick it up just enough to hold Easy Goer off. Late in Sunday Silence's career they finally understood that he doesn't respond will to being hit with stick. Just showing SS the stick produced a little more from him and they needed that at the end.
In answer to your question, what I "expect" is for you to use Pat Day as a scapegoat because you are bitterly disappointed that EG lost. The truth is you don't know Easy Goer would have fared better with a different jockey. For all you or anyone else knows, Easy Goer might have done worse.
Easy Goer's acceleration was unmatched between a mile and a mile and a half. All one has to do is watch that MASTERFUL PERFORMANCE in the 1989 Belmont, WOW!!
+orisha19 my favorite racehorse, affirmed, ran the last mile of his belmont while hooked with alydar, whose accomplishments are lost because of affirmed. alydar would have beaten these other fine animals. horses run against horses and not the clock, and affirmed running a 2:26+ belmont while alydar was at his side is a greater accomplishment in the belmont than any other than big red's.
+Rabbi Ingber You may be right about the match race aspect, because they were hooked up in a duel for the last mile, but Easy Goer's move approaching the quarter pole is a thing of Equestrian power that is truly unforgettable. While we are at it, the dogged determination of AP Indy in 1992 coming down the stretch in a duel with My Memoirs and Pine Bluff at the Belmont in 2:26 flat, is also unforgettable as well.
+orisha19 i wanted easy goer to win the races, but pat day cost him the first two by getting EG stuck own the rail. my father, OBM, went to one of the sales that sunday silence was entered but withdrawn because the bids did not reach the expectations. my dad came back from kentucky, showed me the pedigree page and told me that this was the most beautiful horse he'd ever seen, but didn't have a quarter million dollars + to buy him. he carried that pedigree page in his wallet the rest of his life.
Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There are an endless amount of all time greats who were behind or tied in head to head records, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Shuvee, John Henry, Pleasant Colony, Serena's Song, Silverbulletday, Swaps, Nashua, Sir Barton, Skip Away and many others. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by SS against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of lesst han two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge vs EG with 3 wins coming in very close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type & Cro Lover. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; John Henry got beat 4 out of 4 by Cabrini Green; John Henry got beat 3 out of 3 by Darby Creek Road; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
Bloodhorse also stated: "Easy Goer MET and FULFILLED those dreams and expectations embodied in his powerful chestnut frame and authored an unforgettable Hall of Fame championship career, and will always be mentioned in the same awed breath as the GREATEST of ALL TIME."
It certainly was Pat Day's "baby hands and kid gloves" riding of a Hall of Fame champion horse who combined blazing record speed at a mile and shorter distances,with a thorughly supreme amd brilliant stamina that got him defeated by a nostril and desperate neck in two outs.
ERNIE'S words will live FOREVER! He says, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time, many of the most historic races on or near track records. He deserved better in that amazing campaign he was put through." His words will live forever, will live in infamy.
The outcome of these races speak for themselves. Sunday Silence always broke alertly and raced smartly on or near the front...Never in trouble. His incredible turn of foot was never more evident as simply ran away from Easy Goer " The Race of the Decade"... Campion 3 year old and Eclipse Award Winning Horse of the Year for 1989...Sunday Silence was just to much Hoss...That my good friends pretty much says it all
Ernie's words will live FOREVER, He states, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, record three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time behind Secretariat. He deserved better in that amazingly brilliant campaign he was put through." Words that will live forever.
ERNIE'S words will live FOREVER. He says, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time. He deserved better than that amazingly historic campaign he was put through." Words that will ive forever.
What a race and what a rivalry between two extraordinary horses. In the Preakness, these two overwhelmingly sensational champions, Easy Goer and Sunday Silence, each had the lead at about five or six different points in the race. Maybe more. On the backstretch, then Easy Goer rocketing past on the backstretch, Sunday Silence second turn, top of the stretch, then through the home stretch a few times back and forth. It doesn't count, but after the finish line when the race was over, Easy Goer was back in front. That's breathtaking to have that many lead changes. What a race. Eight lengths in the Belmont is a big difference between a nose with each horse having the lead at five or six different points through the Preakness, but a win is a win no matter the margin. It counts just the same. What a race between two sensational horses. In this race, it appeared as if it could have been more of the same, a repeat of the Preakness, down the backstretch when Easy Goer made that big move again. The multifaceted Easy Goer with big time speed was much closer in the Preakness, but uncharacteristically was far behind early in this race. Sunday Silence held on by a neck as Easy Goer rocketed past an instant, a split second past the line. What a race and what a rivalry.
Easy Goer, the Hall of Fame champion, one of the rare greats that combined blazing, record speed at a mile and shorter distances, along with a thoroughly supreme and genuine stamina to run the second fastest Belmont of all time,and was thoroughly supreme at every distance in between,one of the rare ones. And Pat Day rode him with "kid gloves and baby hands", rode him awful to get him beat a nostril and desperate neck in two outs.
"I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness was absolutely due to a rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic." That's Pat Day for us. "Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let him back in the race. But in the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Classic, maybe when Pat Day grabbed him after the start, the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Pat was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as he had done before, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence. I think anybody would say that if those two ran against each other ten times, each would probably win five." - Shug McGaughey
They faced each other 4 times, easy goer beat him once.Watch the stretch run Sunday Silence never felt the whip while day beat easy goer to death.Horses with tactical speed like Sunday Silence will always be better than one run closers.
Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There are an endless amount of all time greats who were behind or tied in head to head records, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Shuvee, John Henry, Pleasant Colony, Serena's Song, Silverbulletday, Swaps, Nashua, Sir Barton, Skip Away and many others. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by SS against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of lesst han two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge vs EG with 3 wins coming in very close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type & Cro Lover. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; John Henry got beat 4 out of 4 by Cabrini Green; John Henry got beat 3 out of 3 by Darby Creek Road; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
Edwin Pope also said it, "After being in the clouds for the first 6 1/2f of the race, Pat Day put out the fire of a splendid Hall of Fame champion colt's in full flame. If McCarron and Day had switched mounts, or Cordero or Laffit rode Easy Goer, Easy Goer's champion chestnut head would be fitted today for the crown of all racing." I agree
I'm a racing fan from the UK and this great race was the first Dirt race that I watched on t.v. when I was a kid. For me, this should be rated as the best Breeders Cup Classic ever run because of the great rivalry leading into it between these two magnificent racehorses. I've watched back what Easy Goer and Sunday Silence did on the racetrack in 1989. It's clear that both would have been undefeated and Triple Crown winners had they not had each other to beat. I really feel as time has passed that both don't recieve the recognition that they deserve for how great they were. If you asked every race fan in America to rank the best horses that they'd seen the sad fact is that Zenyatta and American Pharoah would be ranked far higher than Easy Goer & Sunday Silence. That annoy's me. I know that what American Pharoah has done so far this year has been exceptional and he's clearly a super horse. However, in my opinion if you put Easy Goer or Sunday Silence up against the horses AM has beaten they would both have looked just as impressive.
I would argue that Alysheba best a stronger field, beating Seeking the gold, forty miner, and Cryptoclearance ( in the mud, in the dark) 3/2 on the two time HOY...
Very well said my friend. As a kid watching I actually watched all 4 of these races live and was a easy goer fan.heartbreak but respect definitely to Sunday silence
What a shame Pat Day blew it again just didn't learn about the early pace and let sunday silence beat him early with a carefree non-aggressive early ride.
Rankings, awards, etc. awards. Racing expert Charles Justice's objective, statistical study and rankings in his book "The Greatest Horse of All," ranked Easy Goer the 2nd best 3 year old of all time behind only Secretariat, and ahead (cossidered greater) of many greats including Dr Fager, Damascus, Sunday Silence, Bid, Man o' War, Native Dancer, Slew, etc. His study was based on objective, statistical factors like times, track variants, average times, average distance run, average speed, top speed, weights, post positions, speed ratings, time between races, time vs distance run, time vs weights, records set and near records run, foal crop, stakes races won, winning margins, etc. A numerous amount of greats were behind or tied in head to heads vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; and there are many other similar examples. The Bloodhorse rankings by a small seven person panel are just as subjective and flawed as any other. Does this make the Blood horse panel of seven official, true, right and the authority? Of course not. In the foreword written in the beginning of the Bloodhorse top 100 book, they even admit how subjective and debatable their list - or any list - is, as they said: Blood-Horse stated that its rankings "will generate debate for years to come." The electoral friction was ultimately reflected in the introduction to the Blood-Horse's "Top 100 Racehorses" book, which said, "For all the work and dreaming that went into it, one approaches the list with a nagging sense of its folly as a rational exercise and of the maddening arbitrariness of its outcome. However one views the list, whether in peace - or shock and dismay - all such judgments, of course, are ENTIRELY SUBJECTIVE, a mixture of WHIM, wisdom, and whatever prejudices howl through the mind." In the Greatest Horse of All book by Charles Justice, Easy Goer was ranked the second best three year old of all time behind only Secretariat, and Ahead of Citation, Sunday Silence, Dr Fager, Damascus etc etc. Better is subjective and flawed; and who is better objectively is also flawed. The subjective, flawed Blood-horse list was done by ONE small panel of seven racing writers. There are plenty of racing writers that were not on this panel that state that Easy Goer was better than SS, including Alan Shuback, Edwin Pope, Dave Litfin, Steve Crist, Mike Watchmaker, Dick Jerardi, Paul Moran, Bill Finley, Andy Serling, etc etc . The Racing Post, Racing Times, Timeform, World Thoroughbred Rankings, Associated Press, Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Times, Thoroughbred Record, Sports Illustrated, Espn etc., all did not do subjective ranking lists of the top 100. If they had, many horses would have been ranked differently. SI & AP ranked a top 10, and horses four through ten were ranked differently than the Bloodhorse. Who's true, right, official and the authority on this? Sports Illustrated, Associated Press, Blood horse, Charles Justice etc? NONE!. Oh, and in the Bloodhorse top 100, Buckpasser was ranked narrowly ahead of Damascus (head to head winner over Buckpasser by 10 lengths); Dr Fager (lost 2 of 4 to Damascus by a combined 12 lengths) was ranked ahead of Damascus; Spectacular Bid was ranked narrowly ahead of Affirmed (head to head winner over Bid); Seattle Slew was ranked narrowly ahead of Affirmed; Swaps was ranked narrowly ahead of Nashua (1 to 1 head to head); Man O War was ranked narrowly ahead of Secretariat and Citation; Citation was ranked far ahead of Noor, who beat him in 4 of 5 races; War Admiral was ranked ahead of Seabiscuit, yet Seabiscuit beat War Admiral head to head; Majestic Prince was ranked far ahead of Arts and Letters; Native Dancer was ranked narrowly ahead of Tom Fool; Cigar was ranked far ahead of Skip Away and Holy Bull; Alysheba was ranked but Bet Twice was not - 5 to 4 head to head; Round Table was ranked far ahead of Sword Dancer; Round Table was ranked narrowly ahead of Bold Ruler, yet Bold Ruler was ahead in head to head races. Does this make the Blood horse panel of seven official, true, right and the authority? Absolutely not. The Racing Post, Racing Times, Timeform, World Thoroughbred Rankings, Associated Press, Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Times, Thoroughbred Record, Sports Illustrated, Espn etc also do subjective ranking lists of the top 100 - many horses including Easy Goer and SS would be ranked differently.
One of the most gutsy races I have ever seen. Easy looked done at the very top of the stretch and never gives up. He gave up 4 lengths to Sunday at the top and still about ran him down. It's my favorite Easy Goer race all time because it shows exactly the tenacious effort he gave every time he ran. Reminds me of Alydar.
@edmorales3951 from 4 lengths back, because of his incompetent Jockey, to losing by a nose is running him down. EG deserved a better jockey than Pat, a day late, Day
The Preakness was the Real Race of the Decade between these two-- one of the best ever-- I was always believe Easy Goes was slightly better, and Sunday Silence was better ridden. But the 4 races in 1989 ill never forget. RIP Easy Goer.
You are correct. It was the Preakness that was the race of the decade. It was even on ESPN Top 10 sports moments of the decade, not the BC. The Preakness was a great finish not only sport-wise, but poetically beautiful. In exact matching stride to the wire, red and black horse, so perfectly matched that the oft-printed finish photo showed only SS as he blocked out EG.
This race boils down to the 3/8ths Pole at the 2:18 mark...This is where Easy Goer lost the race...look at Pat Day just sitting on Easy Goer and not pushing him at all as Sunday Silence moved toward the lead...Pat Day sits on easy goer like a statue...Anyone have any idea what he was waiting for?...This left him with too much ground to make up in stretch...Will never understand this ride and tactics by Pat Day...if he Pushes Easy Goer when Sunday Silence moves to the lead he would have won fairly easily
Both great horses, and a thrilling fantastic race from both horses. Something I've always liked about Easy Goer, was his smooth and easy power, and stamina. If this race was 1.5 miles like the Belmont, Easy Goer wins it quite easy, as you can see him toward the end of this race, closing in on Sunday's Silence, but ran out of real estate. Also Goer's jockey holds him back too long, before making a move. This has cost Easy Goer some wins in my opinion. I'm a Seattle Slew, and Easy Goer fan, and you can't help but admire the sure greatness of Secretariat.
He came late because he ran off the pace, he tried to move on the turn and got the worst of it, damn good horse, just lost to a better one....,three out of four times, enough said.
The great Hall of Fame champion Easy Goer was very versatile; he could go to the lead through blazing fractions, stalk close up, etc. Easy Goer also ran a still-standing record mile in 1:32 2/5, just 1/5 off Dr. Fager's world record and the fastest mile ever run by any 3 year old; second fastest Belmont of all time behind only Secretariat; ran some of the fastest editions of the Champagne at 1 mile, Gotham at 1 mile, Belmont at 1 1/2 miles, Whitney at 1 1/8 miles, Travers at 1 1/4 miles, Suburban at 1 1/4 miles, near 6 1/2f track record, and fastest 7f of the year in Florida as well. Certainly not enough said. Better? Better is totally subjective and includes and endless amount of factors, and even after all the other numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective; and numerous greats were behind or tied vs. other horses. Citation lost four out of five times to Noor; Kelso lost three out of four times to Beau Purple; Dr. Fager lost two out of four times to Damascus; Forego lost two out of three times to both Wajima and Big Spruce; John Henry lost three out of three times to Darby Creek Road; John Henry lost two out of three times to both Interco and Mehmet; Shuvee lost four out of five times to Gallant Bloom; Sir Barton lost eight out of twelve times to Billy Kelly; Skip Away lost four out of six times to Formal Gold; Unbridled lost four out of six times to Summer Squall; Pleasant Colony lost three out of four times to Akureyri; and numerous others. Who was better is totally subjective and there are numerous factors, and even after those factors are factored in, who was better is totally subjective.
ss held the 3 to 1 edge. Who was better? Better, like beauty, is totally subjective. They were both greats no doubt, but IMO other than SSs slim edge in their head to head races, Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors and categories. Both greats, but In my opinion Easy Goer was a better horse than SS, and had a superior body of work and career than SS. But of course, once again, better in any way is still totally subjective. Many many greats were behind or tied on the head to head scoreboard - Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Skip Away, Dr Fager, Damascus, Arts and Letters, Swaps, Nashua, Round Table, Ancient Title, John Henry, Unbridled, Silverbulletday, Serenas Song, Pleasant Colony, Sir Barton, Ferdinand, Native Diver, and many many others. Easy Goer was much more flashy & dominant, while SS was more workmanlike. Who was better though? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. Better is subjective, and there are numerous factors. And even after those factors are factored in, who was better is totally subjective. Noor beat immortal Citation 4 out of 5 races. Beau Purple beat immortal Kelso 3 out of 4. Big Spruce beat immortal Forego 2 out of 3. Interco and Mehmet beat lengendary champ John Henry 2 out of 3. Cabrini Green beat John Henry 4 of 4. Darby Creek Road beat legendary John Henry 3 of 3. HOF (Hall of Fame) champ Damascus beat HOF champ Dr Fager 2 out of 4. Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand 3 times. Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown winner Sir Barton 8 of 12. Formal Gold beat HOF HOY champ Skip Away 4 out of 6. HOF champ Majestic Prince beat HOF HOY champ Arts and Letters 2 out of 3. Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. Clem beat HOF HOY champ Round Table 3 times. Summer Squall beat Champion Unbridled 4 out of 6. Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday 3 out of 3 times. Jewel Princess beat HOF champion Serenas Song in 3 of 3 races. Crystal Water beat HOF champ Ancient Title 4 times. Akureyri beat Champ Pleasant Colony 3 out of 4. Who is better? That is totally subjective. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior and better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses and open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried and weights conceded, stakes wins and stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority and dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign and career earnings with and without bonuses, races with drugs and medications allowed/used, races with no drugs and medications allowed/used, etc etc and many many more. But even after those factors are factored in, who was better is still totally subjective. Easy Goer and SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks and many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3. 8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three and four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and 12f, SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 and a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career ; other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, amount of races with no drugs and medications, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance and superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. They were both greats no doubt, but IMO other than SSs slim edge in their head to head races, Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors and categories. Both greats, but In my opinion Easy Goer was a better horse than SS, and had a superior body of work and career than SS. But of course, once again, better in any way is still totally subjective.
Totally expected from Pat ron franklin-esque Day. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, inside, outside, back inside, back outside. Yes, better is definitely subjective. Having acknowledged that: Take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat Day, a.k.a Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Where was Woody Stephens, Allen Jerkens, Cordero, Bailey, Pincay, Stevens? Easy Goer wins the Preakness and Classic had any of these been his trainer and jockey. The only way Citation wins a race was if Noor hadn't been in it. The only way Kelso wins a race was if Beau Purple hadn't been in it. The only way Dr. Fager wins a race was if Damascus hadn't been in it. The only way Forego wins a race was if Big Spruce hadn't been in it.
Oh wow. I would have loved to have been there. I was at the 89 Super Derby in Louisiana. Both were scheduled to run there, but Easy Goer scratched. Got to see Sunday Silence though. Magnificent horse.
Easy Goer made a Tremendous & Miraculous run to make up & gobble up that much ground & shoot by horses who were not tiring,stopping or slowing down at all.
During 1989 New York was the "Only" State in the Entire Country who did not Allow Race day Drugs...The Vet for Sunday Silence was not Allowed anywhere Near his Horse on This day...And we all Know What happened in That Race...He was absolutely "Trounced" by his Rival...That was also on June 10th and Easy Goers "5th" Race Since April 8th and he Still Crushed at 12 Furlongs
Easy Goer was one of the rare greats who combined blistering record speed at a mile and at shorter distances, with a thoroughly superb and amazing stamina to run the second fastest Belmont of all time, and was thoroughly superb and amazing at every distance of ground in between. Remember those baby hands and kid gloves riding that Drape accurately stated in his book.
The Classic Distance for the "WHOLE WORLD" is 1 1/2m, 12f, a mile & a half. The Classic Distance & Test of a Champion for the Whole World is STILL 12f, 1 1/2miles. In order to win the American Triple Crown, the ultimate Test of a Triple Crown Champion is the Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2m. The Belmont Stakes will always be at 12f. The Classic Distance for the "WHOLE WORLD" is 1 1/2m, 12f, a mile & a half. The Classic Distance & Test of a Champion for the Whole World is STILL 12f, 1 1/2miles: G1 Arc de Triomphe, G1 English Derby (Epsom Darby), G1 Irish Derby, G1 Japan Cup, G1 King George, G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, G1 Breeders Cup Turf, G1 Japanese Derby, G1 English Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks, G1 Japanese Oaks, G1 Coronation Cup, G1 British Champions, G1 Yorkshire Oaks, G1 Hong Kong Vase, G1 Hong Kong Champions Cup, G1 Grand Prix de St Cloud, G1 Grand Prix de Paris, G1 Prix Vermeille, G1 Gran Premio Internacional (ARG), G1 Argentine Derby on dirt, G1 Peruvian Derby on dirt, G1 Uruguayan Derby on dirt, G1 Brazilian Derby, G1 Brazilian Oaks, G1 Chilean Derby, G1 South African Derby, G1 South African Oaks, G1 Grande Prêmio Derby (BRZ), & an enormous amount of others. There are an enormous amount of worldwide Triple Crown races at the world's classic distance of 12f, 1 1/2m: G1 Belmont Stakes, G1 English Derby (GB), G1 Irish Derby (IRE) , G1 Japanese Derby (JPN), G1 Australian Derby (AUS), G1 Caulfield Cup (Australia), G1 German Derby (GER), G1 Grand Prix (France), G1 English Oaks (GB), G1 Irish Oaks (IRE), G1 Japanese Oaks (JPN), G1 Prix Vermeille (France), G1 Argentine Derby (Argentina) on dirt, G1 Peruvian Derby (Peru) on dirt, G1 Hong Kong Champions Cup (Hong Kong), G1 Brazilian Derby (Brazil), G1 Brazilian Oaks (BRZ), G1 Chilean Derby (Chile), G1 Uruguayan Derby (Uruguay) on dirt, G1 South African Derby, G1 South African Oaks, G1 Breeders Stakes (Canada), & many more. Even in North America, races at 1 1/2m or distances farther than 1 1/4m are still prominent tests of champions - Belmont Stakes, Breeders' Cup Turf, Turf Classic, Sword Dancer, Man o' War, Brooklyn, etc. In fact, in North America there are 24 Graded Stakes races in NA at 1 1/2m; there are 44 Graded stakes races in NA at distances longer than 1 1/4m, there are 44 Graded Stakes races in NA at distances of 1 1/2m, 1 3/8m, etc. There are only 8 Graded Stakes in NA at 1 3/16m. There are 27 Graded Stakes in NA at 1 1/4m. There are 35 Graded Stakes races in NA at distances of 1 3/16m or 1 1/4m. As far as Easy Goer is concerned, Easy Goer won G1 races at 7f, 1 mile, 1 1/8m, 1 1/4m & 1 1/2m. Easy Goer 14 wins drug-free without any drugs, SS 0 wins drug-free without any drugs. Easy Goer 14, ss 0; EG 1, ss 0. Easy Goer won G1 races at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f drug-free with much less time & rest between races & ran many more races at more fluctuating, different distances in faster times with far superior speed figures & performance ratings; while the drug-reliant ss only won G1 races at 9f to 10f with his performance enhancing drugs (Clenbuterol, Lasix [scientifically proven to give a 9 length performance enhancement], Etorphine, Sublimaze, etc) & much more time & rest between races & ran far less races. In the drug-free EG's few very slim losses by the narrowest of margins to the drug-reliant ss, ss needed all of his performance enhancing drugs administered to him & still only beat him by the slimmest of margins. The very slight 3-1 edge (attained by ss by the slimmest of margins with performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine) by the narrowest of margins means as much or as little as Noor 4, Citation 1; Beau Purple 3, Kelso 1; Gallant Man 3, Round Table 0; Iron Liege 2, Round Table 1; Sword Dancer 2, Round Table 0; Alsab 2, Whirlaway 1; Big Spruce 2, Forego 1; Wajima 2, Forego 1; Cabrini Green 4, John Henry 0; Darby Creek Road 3, John Henry 0; Gallant Bloom 4, Shuvee 1; Damascus 2, Dr Fager 2; Akureyri 3, Pleasant Colony 1; Formal Gold 4, Skip Away 2; Billy Kelly 8, Sir Barton 4; Summer Squall 4, Unbridled 2; Bayern 2, California Chrome 1; Star of Cozzene 3, Kotashaan 1; & an endless amount of others. In the Test of the Champion drug-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed ss; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top. Easy Goer ran drug-free in the only state in the entire country at the time which banned all drugs, which banned all performance enhancing drugs; while the drug-reliant & illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant ss got exposed badly & romped when he was forced to run drug-free with no-drugs at all. The Litmus Test of a Champion is running & winning drug-free without any performance enhancing drugs; & during that era New York was the only state in the entire country that banned all drugs. Plus, as importantly, NY banned the illegal criminal vet of ss Alex Harthill [arrested an endless amount of times for illegally drugging an endless amount of horses]. During that era, it was a huge credit to NY [& the rest of the whole world] that the endless amount of their championship G1 races stood as gigantic obstacles to drug-reliant horses like ss; & these horses, like ss & many others, got exposed badly when they were forced to run drug-free with no-drugs at all. ONLY no-drugs races were/are true championship races. Only no-drugs races could/can be called championship races. Only No-drugs races kept/keep the outcomes crystal clear. No-drugs races are the only true tests of champions. That is integrity, honesty, fair play & complete fairness for all. The end.
Day blew it. As great a rider as he was, he blew it a lot to. I think back to the 1988 KY Derby. He waited way too long to make his move with Forty Niner. Yes, he had to work to save him breaking from the 17 gate, but it was only a neck and the bottom line was that he moved too late.
The Bloodhorse: "Easy Goer MET and FULFILLED those dreams and expectations embodied in his powerful frame and authored an unforgettable Hall of Fame champions career, and will always be mentioned in the same breath with the GREATEST of ALL TIME."
This Heads up Record Between both Horses was so Close that it came down to this "1" race by a "Neck" at the wire from being Tied at 2-2...And 1 Nose & Neck short of being 3 to 1 in Easy Goers favor...SS won 3 out of 4 but "3 of 4" Just "Sounds" Much better than the record actually was...if you Know the History of these 2 Horses Matches you will know just how "Close" the Heads up record really was...Some fans see that SS won "3 of 4" and are not even aware of any of the Circumstances ...Easy Goer Should have Won this race and Horse of the Year
Jeff Snell Except with raceday performance enhancing drugs (and their significant advantages; but banned in the rest of the world and in NY during that era) like Clenbuterol, Sublimaze and Banamine, and crooked cheater doper vet Alex Harthill (arrested an endless amount of times for illegal doping & did more cheating with drugs to win horse races than any vet in history; but banned in NY, Illinois, NJ, Penn, Del, WVa, Va, Mass, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Canada, etc) the drug dependent sunday silence was unable to even come close to the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer. So those 8 lengths were like 20 miles for the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer; and the nose and neck were like 10 miles for the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer. Even with the raceday performance enhancing drugs (and their significant advantages; but banned in the rest of the world and in NY during that era) and crooked cheater doper vet Alex Harthill (arrested an endless amount of times for illegal doping & did more cheating with drugs to win horse races than any vet in history; but banned in NY, Illinois, NJ, Penn, Del, WVa, Va, Mass, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Canada, etc) the drug dependent sunday silence barely beat the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer by the slimmest of margins in a couple of races. The drug-dependent and crooked cheater doper vet dependent sunday silence's 3-1 was the same as Beau Purple's 3-1 over Kelso, or Noor's 4-1 over Citation, or Akureyri's 3-1 over Pleasant Colony, or Big Spruces 2-1 over Forego, or Formal Gold's 4-2 over Skip Away, or Summer Squall's 4-2 over Unbridled, or Gallant Bloom's 4-1 over Shuvee, etc., and an infinite amount of others.
In hindsight SS has turned out to be an all time great both in his racing career and as a sire. His accomplishments are clearly defined. He beat EG a horse touted as the greatest ever 3 out of 4 times. Hes sired a triple crown winner and was the grandsire of two more triple crown winners. His progeny ranks among cape cross, urban sea, galileo, montjeu for the best in the last generation. Well done for a horse that was never suppose to amount to much.
Who is finer or greater? That is nonobjective and intuitive. They were both extraordinary Thoroughbreds. Though a small sample, they were mere inches apart from a even, level 2 to 2 when opposing one another in direct competition. Easy Goer did accomplish & achieve more in his career resu'me'.
Ariel Dovid What is with this "inches" from being 2 to 2 nonsense? Yes, Easy Goer lost the Preakness by a nose. But the only reason Easy Goer was within a nose was because he checked Sunday Silence on the far turn, probably costing him a couple of lengths. Sunday Silence was the far better horse on Preakness day.
Aaron Mccurrie A nose is inches. No excuses. Far better? That is nonsense and nonobjective. Try to be as unbiased as you can. I try and usually succeed at being as unbiased as I can. You can make legitimate cases that Easy Goer was "far better" also in some of these races. I wouldn't, but I'm just saying. The "only reason" what? You mean getting steadied or checked automatically means that it cost horses a certain amount of lengths in both winning and losing? We don't know that at all. I suppose, in the Derby, Easy Goer getting pinballed sideways, checked and totally cut off in a melee caused by Northern Wolf, cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know. Easy Goer also had his path taken away from him in the stretch by Dansel while having to change course. Did it cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know. As for your Preakness claims, Watch the head on footage of the Preakness on the 1989 ABC Full Belmont Stakes video here on this website at about the 10:45 to 12:00 minute mark. Easy Goer hopped at the break and broke in the air costing him a few lengths. Did it cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know? Down the back-side, Valenzuela and Sunday Silence forced Easy Goer out very wide to the middle of the track, which then forced Easy Goer and Day to make a big, early move. Did it cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, we don't know. Day and the horse legally passed him without cutting him off at all, but I think he steadied and idled because Houston came out a bit, and he didn't have enough horse at the time to stay with Easy Goer who was running at sprint speed. Did it cost him a few lengths? Not necessarily, we don't know. Regardless of that, then Valenzuela pinned him in extremely tight on the rail while they were brushing. Did being pinned and trapped on the rail being brushed cost him? We don't know, maybe. Did the brushing cost both horses? Not necessarily, we don't know, maybe. Day turned Easy Goer's head with the lead about 85 yards from the line. Did it cost him? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know. You get my points.
Ah, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer what a great rivalry. I was for Sunday Silence in all the races but Goer was such a great horse I loved him as well. I really got serious about horse racing because of these two but after a few years of not really have another that won me like these two, I started to slip back to a more casual fan.
As many racing experts from all over the country stated, but was stated so correctly by Paul Moran of ESPN, "Easy Goer was the better and more extraordinarily talented horse, but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck because Pat Day rode him horribly, rode him like the exposed end of a live wire." So true and correct.
In my opinion, regardless if Pat Day moved very belatedly, very tardily, or too late, or moved very precipitately,rashly or early, or moved at the proper moment, his major wrongdoings and defects were, he would characteristically ride hesitantly and indecisively. Day would characteristically make a move, then Back off and wait when he didn't have to wait, make a move, then back off and wait again when he didn't have to wait. This would either permit and enable other horses back in the race, and-or permit and enable other horses to get away.
Both great horses, and a thrilling fantastic race from both horses. Something I've always liked about Easy Goer, was his smooth and easy power, and stamina. If this race was 1.5 miles like the Belmont, Easy Goer wins it quite easy, as you can see him toward the end of this race, closing in on Sunday's Silence, but ran out of real estate. Also Goer's jockey holds him back too long, before making a move. This has cost Easy Goer some wins in my opinion. I'm a Seattle Slew, and Easy Goer fan, and you can't help but admire the sure greatness of Secretariat.
At any rate, like many of the racing experts stated from all regions of the country, and even trainers like Wayne Lukas and Woody Stephens stated it, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of espn, "Easy Goer was the better and more outstanding,extraordinary and remarkable horse, but was defeated by a whisker & desperate neck in two races because Pat choker Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire, rode him horribly." So true and correct, I agree.
ERNIE! Your own words will live FOREVER and ever! Ernie says, "HALL of FAME champion EASY GOER was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, a RARE true all time great, fastest three year old mile of all-time in 1:32, second fastest Belmont of all time, many of the most historic races won by many Hall of Fame horses on or near track records. He deserved better in that supreme campaign he was put through." Ernie's words will live forever and ever.
Who was better in any way is totally subjective. There was the Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer clobbered him. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
DELMARCLUB1 Yeah Easy Goer did clobbered Sunday Silence in ONE race " on his home track" But in head to head match up Sunday Silence clobbered Easy Goer 3 out of 4 times so in the end.. who is the one that really got clobbered in head to head match up.
Travis West, cominatcha, smile wiper, gamebred, wiley, westbound, etc etc etc etc etc. You keep saying in each comment on each thread, you are done. Clobbered in head to head matchups? That's like saying Beau Purple clobbered Kelso in their head to head matchups, as Beau Purple was 3-1 against Kelso. That's like saying Noor clobbered Citation in their head to head matchups, as Noor was 4-1 against Citation. That's like saying Big Spruce clobbered Forego in their head to head matchups, as Big Spruce was 2-1 against Forego. That's like saying Cabrini Green clobbered John Henry in their head to head matchups, as Cabrini Green was 4-0 against John Henry. That's like saying Darby Creek Road clobbered John Henry in their head to head matchups, as Darby Creek Road was 3-0 against John Henry. Numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE TINY number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). Hall of Fame champ Easy Goer never had to bring his track with him - EG won on mile tracks, 1 1/8m tracks, and 1 1/2m tracks. SS did not. SS lost 3 of 5 on 1 1/8m sized tracks (LOSING record at his home track losing 3 races there), and SS lost 4 of 6 on 1 1/8m or larger tracks. EG won G1 races at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and 12f all without any drugs running many more races with much less rest between races; SS ONLY won G1 races at 9f to 10f with drugs running much less races with much more rest between races; that's a huge difference in versatility. That's also like saying that Sunday Silence never won when racing without his drugs. That's also like saying that SS never won on larger circumferenced tracks (lost 4 of 6) of a 1 1/8 miles or larger. That's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him with his drugs; that's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him on smaller circumferenced tracks because ss's record on 1 1/8 miles or larger circumferenced tracks (LOST 4 of 6, and LOST 3 times at his larger circumferenced Hollywood Park track) was similar to EG's record on smaller circumferenced tracks. Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes (the classic distance for the whole world) where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs & medications. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
So fitting; to a tee. "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat wait all Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country and Menifee. 3) "Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. 4) "Day's tentativeness and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!”
Easy Goer & SS both turned out to be all time greats with great accomplishments. Many many greats were behind or tied on the head to head scoreboard - Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Skip Away, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Sir Barton among many others were behind or tied in head to heads. Easy Goer was much more flashy & dominant, while SS was more workmanlike. EG died young with only a few crops of foals sired, & still amazingly was/has been influential with numerous G1 winning offspring and descendants. SS & Northern Taste certainly have been the best sires that Japan has had. Who was better though? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc and many many more. They were both great horses. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads with other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11) Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races. 15) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 races, etc etc. The point is who was better in any way is subjective.
+Travis West All the five year old troll Travis Bickle can do is 'laugh his butt off' and troll and then delete hundreds of his comments, state numerous false bs and false accusations, etc.
+DELMARCLUB1 I'm no expert but I do always ail a little when I think of Dr Fager and Damascus. it always took two horses to beat Dr Fager if you know what I mean
+DELMARCLUB1 That's why for me the top 5 horses of all time are (in order): Secretariat, Phar Lap, Sea Bird II, Man O War and Ribot as no single rival consistently ever got their measure (at least not after PL was gelded).
It's too numerous to count, and I can add another one which I and most others never mention: Hall of Fame champion Gallant Bloom beat HOF champ Shuvee in 4 of 5 races head to head, yet BH ranked GB nine spots lower than Shuvee. Not that BH is any authority, but just a note on that. There are numerous examples besides Affirmed, Secretariat, Easy Goer etc. A) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head; B) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head; C) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head; D) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head; E) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races; F) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races; G) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races; H) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races; I) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races; J) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races; K) Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races; L) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times; m) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head; N) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races; O ) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 aces, etc etc.
Great analysis, but I beg to differ on your conclusion. The point is that there is *not much difference between most top horses*, bar a few exceptions at the very end of the normal distribution curve. And depending on track, conditions, distance, weight then it would be hard to predict the outcome if let's say Kelso v. Mill Reef. But there are a few exceptions. Dr Fager is one - he only lost twice to Damascus because the latter had a rabbit in the race a tactic no longer legal, this does not tell me Damascus is the faster racehorse. Secretariat, Ribot, Sea Bird II, Man O War who aside from winning sprints and staying races, either did not lose or if they lost there were sound racing luck reasons.
Pat Day's quintessential riding- take off full of run, then ease up, then take in hand, then grabbed a hold, then geared down, no hand coaxing, no cross reining, no reins shaken, start stop, confusing, commit then uncommit, etc.
Numerous greats were behind or tied on the head to head, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others; and who's better in any way is totally subjective period. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
Some horses find their best when facing the best. Sunday Silence was definately one of those horses. Tiznow was another I could think of. What's truly amazing about Sunday Silence is how good of a sire he is. His progeny will live on forever and likely to be dominant on turf with Gentildonna, Ofevere, Goldship, etc all set to take on the Arc this year...
Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela did outride Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop start Day. So did McCarron for that matter. So did Pincay, Cordero, Stevens, Bailey etc. However, it was Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela who actually was the one "trying to screw Pat ron franklin-esque Day the whole way around" by floating him very wide [8 or 9 wide] towards the barns on the back-side, and by trapping him and knocking him in very tight to the rail afterwards on the turn [so bad that Houston had to check] and thru the stretch. The video of the entire backstretch run into the turn is here on TH-cam, on the 1989 Belmont stakes - Easy Goer: Full ABC Broadcast. At the 11 minute mark of this 89 Belmont video, you can watch the entire back-side head on footage of the Preakness. It doesn't show Pat ron franklin-esque Day shutting off or cutting off Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela. Valenzuela preposterously tried to turn it around on Day. Interesting also to note that Silence's owner Arthur Hancock assumed, like most others, that Pat Day did. However, on the 'Arthur Hancock on Sunday Silence' video uploaded here on youtube by Blood-Horse, Hancock even admits he didn't by saying at the 8:50 point of the video, "Easy Goer swept past Sunday Silence, and it looked to me like he might have shut him off. Silence dropped back a length or two, and I said to my wife that Easy Goer just shut us off. That's what I thought looking through my binoculars. But he didn't, he did not, he was far enough out there." Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela was quoted in the Blood-Horse magazine saying, "I COULD HAVE gone with Easy Goer and sat IN BETWEEN him and Houston. There was room," Valenzuela said OF THE MOMENT AT THE FAR TURN when Easy Goer FLEW BY HIM. "BUT Easy Goer moved up on the outside of me EXTREMELY QUICK and GOT THE ADVANTAGE over us. I didn't think Easy Goer was going to make that big of a move that soon." Valenzuela's credibility, however, is severely lacking. Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela doesn't just lose an immense amount of credibility because he was and is a chronic life-long cocaine addict. He loses just as much -- if not more -- of an immense amount of credibility due to many other reasons, including numerous bizarre and erratic statements that came out of his mouth, and his devious gamesmanship and race-riding shenanigans etc. Valenzuela, however, could ride with the best of them, and who knows what his career would have been had he not lost the majority of it to an endless amount of cocaine suspensions and being banned. McGaughey and Day were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed the horse possessed. Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive, conservative, start-stop rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, inside, outside, back inside, back outside. Yes, better is definitely subjective. Having acknowledged that: Take nothing away from sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse IMO; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat Day, a.k.a Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than the most conservative anti-speed trainer Claude Shug McGaughey. Where was Woody Stephens, Allen Jerkens, Cordero, Bailey, Pincay, Stevens, Romero, Santos? Easy Goer wins the Preakness and Classic had any of these been his trainer and jockey IMO.
" Easy Goer met and fulfilled those dreams and expectations embodied in his powerful frame and authored an unforgettable Hall of Fame championship career, and will always be mentioned in the same breath with the GREATEST of ALL TIME. Easy Goer and Sunday Silence were inches apart but miles ahead of their contemporaries. In the absence of either, each probably would have been a dominant Triple Crown winner with only history as a benchmark. Instead, each proved each others greatness."
ERNIE!Your own words will live forever and ever! Ernie says ,"Hall of Fame eclipse champion Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME great, one of the RARE greats that come along ONCE in a lifetime. Record three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2,second fastest Belmont of all time. He deserved better(by his jockey's awful riding and his trainer) in that supremely historic campaign he was put through." Your words will live forever.
Jay Hovdey stated it& I agree:"Without SS,Easy Goer would be thought of and up there the Top 5 all time best horses. Easy Goer would have won the Whitney,Travers,Woodward,Jockey Club Gold Cup,Triple Crown,Breeders Cup Classic,Suburban,Champagne,Gotham,Wood Memorial,etc" & many of these by big margins & extremely speedy clockings. "Without EG, SS(would have won the TC,BCC,etc) did not have the overall career or overall campaign as EG." Both clearly great. Inches apart but far ahead of their peers
This was a trainer win SS ducked every race from the Belmont to the BC Classic ! It’s that simple. Ducked the Saratoga and Belmont meet Charlie was no fool he had a speed horse on a track rated for speed. Kind of reminds me of the Turkoman loss in the BC classic.....props to trainers who run and don’t hide from other horses. Money over fans sucks!
Better horse. Margins. Rides. Charts on rides. Scores. Scoreboards. The official margin in this race was a neck. Clearly, it was a very rapidly diminishing neck, as Easy Goer zoomed by at the wire. The official DRF chart notes SS won "driving." McCarron was told not to hit the horse by his trainer due to his disdain for being whipped (as well as weaving tendencies), but what did he do for it to be "driving" in this race? He was repeatedly & continuously asking him ("driving") to run by throwing crosses (flicking & swooping with the reins, cross reining), and poking him (as McCarron said in the Blood Horse Nov. 11, 1989 article) on his shoulder, and showing him the whip with his left hand. Easy Goer was under a hand ride the last furlong of the Belmont, while widening his margin to win by 8 lengths. The chart noted EG won "ridden out" in the Belmont. Both great horses but who was better. The 'better horse'? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, etc etc and many many more. And even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more you can say other than head to heads with other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11)Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races. 15) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 races, etc etc. The point also is who was better is subjective.
Fbanz96 Sorry, numerous greats were behind or tied on the head to head period, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others; and who's better in any way is totally subjective period. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
@@Fbanz96 quite agree with you. E.g. have more fans and they always find a long story to tell you why he is better than ss. I think ss was better and no one can tell me. Other wise. 3 out of 4. Simple
Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There are an endless amount of all time greats who were behind or tied in head to head records, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Shuvee, John Henry, Pleasant Colony, Serena's Song, Silverbulletday, Swaps, Nashua, Sir Barton, Skip Away and many others. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by SS against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of lesst han two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge vs EG with 3 wins coming in very close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type & Cro Lover. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; John Henry got beat 4 out of 4 by Cabrini Green; John Henry got beat 3 out of 3 by Darby Creek Road; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and dad a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
And it was that combination that I previously stated IMO. McGaughey campaigned Easy Goer(after having run in all three triple crown races) like a Citation,Damascus,Buckpasser, forgetting that only one race after the triple crown mattered(Classic).But Pat Day's horrible,passive,deliberate riding hurt immensely also. I think reading Joe Drape's book "Race for the Triple Crown" is very relevant and important, and how there is a big section on Day's horrible,passive,deliberate riding.
"Better" in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses. Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. There was also the Belmont where Easy Goer clobbered him. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the mile one full second faster than Secretariat. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont's. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
Head to heads, scoreboards etc. Who was better? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc and many many more. They were both great horses. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads with other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11)Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races. 15) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 races, etc etc. The point is who was better in any way is subjectiv
Easy Goer, IMO, was the greatest horse since Spectacular Bid, Slew and Secretariat. Easy Goer showed the most ability and talent since these greats, IMO. Easy Goer did indeed have the better career, and they were a bare, scant nostril away from being two to two versus each other.
easy goer would never have passed affirmed with pincay up. alydar was better than easy goer but had the misfortune of being in the same crop as affirmed. their duel in the belmont neck and neck was jaipur and ridden, but over a longer distance. i loved easy goer, buy pat day cost him many races. sunday silence was a great racehorse, but could have been bought at auction, when twice the minimum on him was not met. secretariat, alydar, and easy goer would never have been up for sale, as they came from thoroughbred royalty.
Can't agree, about Alydar being better. When, did he beat older top handicappers three times at varying classic distances? Easy Goer stands alone, in several regards. And, he did it all without Lasix.
calumet was losing money and hustled alydar to then breeding shed at 250, 000 dollars per foal. they overbooked and caused alydar's early demise. affirmed beat older horses, and a tremendous 3 year-old in spectacular bid. listen, i loved easy goer but he couldn't beat sunday silence but once and wasn't even champion three year-old despite being the champion 2 year old. he was hurt drastically by having the brain dead pat day letting the pack get away from him and then getting easy goer pinned on the rail with no place to move. easy goer showed who he was in the belmont but in my opinion wasn't as good as alydar, who also had problems getting to the front.
Who was better? Who would people take? Better is subjective, & true in the eyes of the beholder. In 5 big, important stakes races, Noor bested Citation in 4 of the 5. In 4 big, important races, Beau Purple bested Kelso in 3 of the 4. In 3 big, important stakes races, Big Spruce bested Forego in 2 of the 3. In 3 other big, important stakes races, Wajima bested Forego in 2 of the 3. In 3 big, important stakes races, Interco bested John Henry in 2 of the 3. In 3 other big, important stakes races, Mehmet bested John Henry in 2 of the 3. Cabrini Green also bested John Henry 4 times. Crystal Water bested Ancient Title in 4 big, important stakes races. In 4 big, important stakes races, Damascus bested Dr Fager in 2 of the 4 races. Cutlass Reality bested Ferdinand in 3 big, important stakes races. In 12 big, important stakes races, Billy Kelly bested Hall of Fame Triple Crown champion Sir Barton in 8 of the 12. Pretense bested Native Diver in 5 big, important stakes races. In 6 big, important stakes races, Formal Gold bested Skip Away in 4 of the 6. In 4 big, important stakes races, Akureyri bested Pleasant Colony in 3 of the 4. Who people would take & who was better is subjective.
Pat Day said, ""It ran through my mind that I might lose the mount on Easy Goer after the Preakness. But then I shared some thoughts--I won't tell you what--with Shug and I felt better. I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness was absolutely due to a rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic." Shug McGaughey said, "I asked Day to ride Easy Goer for a few reasons, even though my No. 1 and No. 2 riders at the time were Angel Cordero and Randy Romero. One reason was, despite Easy Goer's superior breeding, his GI winning full sister Cadillacing who I also trained, was more of a one-run late-running sprinter. I had two aggressive jockeys ride her, both Randy Romero and Angel Cordero. Cordero, who was her main rider, was given proper instructions and knew her well. Cordero also rode their mother, champion Relaxing, who was trained by Penna. I'm going along with Easy Goer thinking he may only be a one-run late-running sprinter like his full sister Cadillacing. It turned out Easy Goer could run every distance brilliantly and do it in a variety of ways, and he had many runs in him. But I originally thought Day would be more patient on him than Cordero or Romero. I thought Cordero or Romero would be too aggressive of a rider on him. That's one reason why I chose Day." McGaughey, later after the Preakness, is quoted as saying, "I just want Day to be aggressive and, if it comes down to a mistake deciding the race, force the other rider into the mistake. I can't say I didn't consider changing riders after the Preakness. I also can't say I didn't consider a change in the future. Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let him back in the race." McGaughey also said, "The other reason I chose Day to ride Easy Goer was because Pat Day helped him by not crucifying him in his races and he brought me back some horse. He had soundness problems, but we stayed on top of it. Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let him back in the race. But in the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Classic, maybe when Pat Day grabbed him after the start, the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Pat was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as he had done before, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence. I think anybody would say that if those two ran against each other ten times, each would probably win five."
NO ANNOUNCER can compare to the FABULOUS VOICE of Phil Georgeffe who called the Arlingotn Millions and all CHicago races for decades. He was the best announcer. Can make a maiden $5k claimer sound like a death match...Awesome
You sure about that? Listen to Phil Georgeffe, and his voice, and listen to Tom Durkin's voice here. Tom Durkin also called a lot of big horse races here. Example: This race, the 2012 Travers, The 1992 Breeders Cup Classic, The 2007 Belmont Stakes, The 2002 Test Stakes, The 1995 Breeders Cup Classic, The 2001 Breeders Cup, The 2009 Woodward Stakes with Rachel Alexandra The Great. You cant tell me that Phil Georgeffe's voice was better than the voice of Tom Durkin's.
ELI MXP Been watching horse racing since I was a kid in the 80s. The 1989 Preakness still is the best race I've ever seen. Much better race than this one.
Head to head records in the books? Sure, there head to head records are in the books, much like many many other greats head to head records are in the books. Many many greats were behind or tied on the head to head scoreboard - Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Skip Away, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, Round Table, Ancient Title, John Henry, Shuvee, Sir Barton among many others were behind or tied in head to heads. Who was better though? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc and many many more. They were both great horses. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads with other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11) Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races. 15) Clem beat HOF champion Round Table 3 times. 16) Crystal Water beat HOF champion Ancient Title 4 times. 17) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 races. 18) Gallant Bloom beat Shuvee in 4 of 5 races, etc etc. The point is who was better in any way is subjective.
Not sure why this race is called the race of the Decade. If any race between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer was the race of the decade, it would have to be the Preakness. That Preakness was the greatest horse race I ever saw live.
ERNIE, YOUR own words will live FOREVER! He says, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time, many of the most historic races won by many Hall of Fame horses on or near track records. He deserved better in that phenomenal campaign he was put through." Your words will live forever in infamy
Easy Goer's blazing front-running speed and brilliant tactical speed were perfectly fine in numerous races going to the lead from the start, and staying up very close to the leaders throughout - Champagne, Suburban, Wood Memorial, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Gotham, Belmont, Preakness, Travers, Whitney, 6.5f near record, mile record, near records in many races, etc. The Los Angeles Times quotes, no less : "If the great and truly special Easy Goer were only an ordinary horse, or even just a very good one, he would have probably lost both the 1989 Whitney and Woodward (when SS didn't show up and was resting for half of the year). Plenty were also howling about Day's rides in both the Whitney and Woodward. Hopelessly trapped and boxed in almost the entire races, then had to check on the far turns of both races. Boxed in most of the way, and checked hard and stopped twice in the Woodward. Their was severe and justified criticism of Day's riding. Day stopped and started and stopped and started with many of his mounts. Easy Goer endured yet more frustratingly tentative rides by rider Pat Day -- which is his Achilles heel. Pat Day played a bigger part in beating Easy Goer than Sunday Silence did. He over thought the mount instead of letting Easy Goer run his race. Easy Goer could run forever and run it fast! Day rode the horse incredibly inconsistent and immensely tentative. Poor Easy Goer never knew when Day was serious about when to run or not. A lemming could have ridden Easy Goer better." More quotes: 1) "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country, Menifee and numerous others. 3) "No jockey in the country took more abuse than Day. Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. Day could outwait the Jewish Prophet Job." 4) "Day's tentativeness and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!" 6) ”Because Day often arrived at the wire too late, he was given unflattering nicknames-Pat Wait All Day and Pat delay Day. Many critics described Day's riding as exasperating, and many still grind their teeth remembering many of his rides aboard different horses. Day's patience as a rider was at times demoralizing for owners, trainers, fans and bettors. As Pat Forde, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, penned in 1995, “He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days.” Day's riding style, as Barry Irwin wrote in 2016, "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage." Day also said, "It was a terrible ride and totally my fault. I HAD MORE HORSE THAN I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH. It was absolutely rider error. I got him beat. I got hammered pretty good, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. P Val also carried me out extremely wide to the parking lot down the backstretch; then he kept pushing and banging me and trapped me in extremely tight on the dead rail from the far turn thru the entire stretch. Then EG was running sideways with the lead deep in the homestretch with his head and part of his body turned while having his momentum/stride and rhythm disrupted badly. In the Test of the Champion drug-free medication-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed him; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top. I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight 3-1 edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness absolutely was due to rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic. I was on the better horse." McGaughey also said, "Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and Day let him back in the race. In the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Preakness, Day got to the lead then he remembered he was Pat Day. And when he FOLDED up on the turn, he allowed SS back in the race. He got the lead, and then he gave it back. He basically did the same thing in the Classic. In the Classic, when Day grabbed him after the start, maybe the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Day was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as DAY HAD DONE BEFORE, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence." Better or best is definitely subjective, but having acknowledged that; take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Easy Goer's jockey and trainer, Pat ron franklin esque Day and the most conservative anti-speed McGaughey, were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed a horse like Easy Goer possessed. Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive, conservative, start-stop, wait go wait go wait, yield idle go yield go yield idle, fold up move fold up move fold up rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop Day, aka Pat wait go wait go wait go wait Day, aka Pat yield idle go yield idle go yield idle wait Day, aka Pat fold up move fold up move fold up Day, was pitiful. Pat ron franklin esque Day was riding a Ferrari in Easy Goer. But, Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, go wait go wait go wait, fold up move, fold up move fold up, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
Well Sunday Silence had a cokehead for a jockey 3 out of the 4 races their were in and didn't know how to use the whip properly so I guess that kinda evens it out. Pat Day did very well on Easy Goer in the Belmont and all the other races he won that Sunday Silence wasn't in. Both were super race horses. Take nothing away form either of them.
Did very well? Races wasn't in? Not. The Los Angeles Times quotes, no less : "If the great and truly special Easy Goer were only an ordinary horse, or even just a very good one, he would have probably lost both the 1989 Whitney and Woodward (when SS didn't show up and was resting for half of the year). Plenty were also howling about Day's rides in both the Whitney and Woodward. Hopelessly trapped and boxed in almost the entire races, then had to check on the far turns of both races. Boxed in most of the way, and checked hard and stopped twice in the Woodward. Their was severe and justified criticism of Day's riding. Day stopped and started and stopped and started with many of his mounts. Easy Goer endured yet more frustratingly tentative rides by rider Pat Day -- which is his Achilles heel. Pat Day played a bigger part in beating Easy Goer than Sunday Silence did. He over thought the mount instead of letting Easy Goer run his race. Easy Goer could run forever and run it fast! Day rode the horse incredibly inconsistent and immensely tentative. Poor Easy Goer never knew when Day was serious about when to run or not. A lemming could have ridden Easy Goer better." More quotes: 1) "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country, Menifee and numerous others. 3) "No jockey in the country took more abuse than Day. Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. Day could outwait the Jewish Prophet Job." 4) "Day's tentativeness and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!" 6) ”Because Day often arrived at the wire too late, he was given unflattering nicknames-Pat Wait All Day and Pat delay Day. Many critics described Day's riding as exasperating, and many still grind their teeth remembering many of his rides aboard different horses. Day's patience as a rider was at times demoralizing for owners, trainers, fans and bettors. As Pat Forde, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, penned in 1995, “He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days.” Day's riding style, as Barry Irwin wrote in 2016, "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage." Day also said, "It was a terrible ride and totally my fault. I HAD MORE HORSE THAN I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH. It was absolutely rider error. I got him beat. I got hammered pretty good, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. P Val also carried me out extremely wide to the parking lot down the backstretch; then he kept pushing and banging me and trapped me in extremely tight on the dead rail from the far turn thru the entire stretch. Then EG was running sideways with the lead deep in the homestretch with his head and part of his body turned while having his momentum/stride and rhythm disrupted badly. In the Test of the Champion drug-free medication-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed him; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top. I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight 3-1 edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness absolutely was due to rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic. I was on the better horse." McGaughey also said, "Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and Day let him back in the race. In the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Preakness, Day got to the lead then he remembered he was Pat Day. And when he FOLDED up on the turn, he allowed SS back in the race. He got the lead, and then he gave it back. He basically did the same thing in the Classic. In the Classic, when Day grabbed him after the start, maybe the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Day was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as DAY HAD DONE BEFORE, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence." Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela did outride Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop start Day. So did McCarron for that matter. So did Pincay, Cordero, Stevens, Bailey etc. It actually was Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela who was the one in the Preakness "trying to screw Pat ron franklin-esque Day the whole way around" by floating him very wide towards the barns on the back-side, and then by trapping him and pushing, banging and knocking him in very tight to the rail afterwards on the far turn and thru the entire stretch. Valenzuela's credibility is severely lacking. Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela regularly used devious gamesmanship and race-riding shenanigans etc. Valenzuela, however, could ride with the best of them, and who knows what his career would have been had he not lost the majority of it to an endless amount of cocaine suspensions and being banned. Better or best is definitely subjective, but having acknowledged that; take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Easy Goer's jockey and trainer, Pat ron franklin esque Day and the most conservative anti-speed McGaughey, were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed a horse like Easy Goer possessed. Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive, conservative, start-stop, wait go wait go wait, yield idle go yield go yield idle, fold up move fold up move fold up rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop Day, aka Pat wait go wait go wait go wait Day, aka Pat yield idle go yield idle go yield idle wait Day, aka Pat fold up move fold up move fold up Day, was pitiful. Pat ron franklin esque Day was riding a Ferrari in Easy Goer. But, Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, go wait go wait go wait, fold up move, fold up move fold up, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
No jockey can run the perfect race every time out..All of them make poor decisions that cast a win for their horse. If you put a microscope on any jockey the way some have on pay day then you can make a case on any jockey on any horse that has lost a race. Hell I could make a case on every horse that lost to Man o War if I was to look close enough
Did everything right? NOT. The Los Angeles Times quotes, no less : "If the great and truly special Easy Goer were only an ordinary horse, or even just a very good one, he would have probably lost both the 1989 Whitney and Woodward (when SS didn't show up and was resting for half of the year). Plenty were also howling about Day's rides in both the Whitney and Woodward. Hopelessly trapped and boxed in almost the entire races, then had to check on the far turns of both races. Boxed in most of the way, and checked hard and stopped twice in the Woodward. Their was severe and justified criticism of Day's riding. Day stopped and started and stopped and started with many of his mounts. Easy Goer endured yet more frustratingly tentative rides by rider Pat Day -- which is his Achilles heel. Pat Day played a bigger part in beating Easy Goer than Sunday Silence did. He over thought the mount instead of letting Easy Goer run his race. Easy Goer could run forever and run it fast! Day rode the horse incredibly inconsistent and immensely tentative. Poor Easy Goer never knew when Day was serious about when to run or not. A lemming could have ridden Easy Goer better." More quotes: 1) "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country, Menifee and numerous others. 3) "No jockey in the country took more abuse than Day. Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. Day could outwait the Jewish Prophet Job." 4) "Day's tentativeness and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!" 6) ”Because Day often arrived at the wire too late, he was given unflattering nicknames-Pat Wait All Day and Pat delay Day. Many critics described Day's riding as exasperating, and many still grind their teeth remembering many of his rides aboard different horses. Day's patience as a rider was at times demoralizing for owners, trainers, fans and bettors. As Pat Forde, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, penned in 1995, “He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days.” Day's riding style, as Barry Irwin wrote in 2016, "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage." Day also said, "It was a terrible ride and totally my fault. I HAD MORE HORSE THAN I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH. It was absolutely rider error. I got him beat. I got hammered pretty good, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. P Val also carried me out extremely wide to the parking lot down the backstretch; then he kept pushing and banging me and trapped me in extremely tight on the dead rail from the far turn thru the entire stretch. Then EG was running sideways with the lead deep in the homestretch with his head and part of his body turned while having his momentum/stride and rhythm disrupted badly. [In the Test of the Champion drug-free medication-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed him; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top.] I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight 3-1 edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness absolutely was due to rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic. I was on the better horse." McGaughey also said, "Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and Day let him back in the race. In the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Preakness, Day got to the lead then he remembered he was Pat Day. And when he FOLDED up on the turn, he allowed SS back in the race. He got the lead, and then he gave it back. He basically did the same thing in the Classic. In the Classic, when Day grabbed him after the start, maybe the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Day was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as DAY HAD DONE BEFORE, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence." Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela did outride and was better than Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop start Day. So did and was McCarron for that matter. So did and was Pincay, Cordero, Stevens, Bailey etc. It actually was Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela who was the one in the Preakness "trying to screw Pat ron franklin-esque Day the whole way around" by floating him very wide towards the barns on the back-side, and then by trapping him and pushing, banging and knocking him in very tight to the rail afterwards on the far turn and thru the entire stretch. Valenzuela's credibility is severely lacking. Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela regularly used devious gamesmanship and race-riding shenanigans etc. Valenzuela, however, could ride with the best of them, and who knows what his career would have been had he not lost the majority of it to an endless amount of cocaine suspensions and being banned. Better or best is definitely subjective, but having acknowledged that; take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Easy Goer's jockey and trainer, Pat ron franklin esque Day and the most conservative anti-speed McGaughey, were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed a horse like Easy Goer possessed. Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive, conservative, start-stop, wait go wait go wait, yield idle go yield go yield idle, fold up move fold up move fold up rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop Day, aka Pat wait go wait go wait go wait Day, aka Pat yield idle go yield idle go yield idle wait Day, aka Pat fold up move fold up move fold up Day, was pitiful. Pat ron franklin esque Day was riding a Ferrari in Easy Goer. But, Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, go wait go wait go wait, fold up move, fold up move fold up, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
Pat Ron Franklin Esque Day yeah Easy Goer was indeed in some trouble in the Woodward. But he got out of that trouble in fine order. That's what great horses do. But it took a great jockey to get him out of trouble and give the horse a chance to win which is what Pat Day did..that's what great jockeys do they know how to get out of trouble just like he did in the Woodward. But again Sunday Silence wasn't in that race there wasn't a horse that was just as good as Easy Goer in that race. But good eye on spotting the troubles in that race for Easy Goer
Better horse? Who was 'better' is nonobjective & intuitive, but they both clearly were great Hall of Fame champs. Easy Goer was inches away (Preakness) from it being a level, even 2 to 2 (four races are a small sample) when opposing SS in direct competition (yes it still was 3-1 SS), no excuses here. Easy Goer did have a superior career re'sum'e & accomplished & achieved more in his career. In this race, Whittingham ordered McCarron to not hit him with the whip. They were both whipped in the other races they ran vs each other, though EG was hand ridden the last eighth of a mile coasting in the Belmont. Easy Goer was a Hall of Fame champion who ran a still standing (over 26 years & counting) record mile in 1:32 & change (fastest mile of all time by any 3 yr old) , ran the second fastest Belmont Stakes of all time behind only Secretariat, - ran among the fastest versions of many momentous races (Whitney, Travers, Belmont, Champagne, Suburban, Gotham, near 6 1/2 furlong record at age 2, fastest 7 furlongs of the year in Florida) at all distances. Easy Goer also ran a historic, strenuous, toilsome 3 yr old campaign (Belmont, Whitney, Travers, Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup etc). Easy Goer ran 1:53 4/5 for 9.5f in Maryland, and ran 2:00 1/5 for 10f in Florida, losing by inches and a neck in these races. Easy Goer also ran the fastest 7 furlongs of the year in Florida in 1989. Easy Goer ran 17 of his 20 total races in New York or Florida. His old school, old timer owner ran him mostly in the historic, prestigious Grade 1 races in New York & Florida (mostly NY, 2 in FL). EG was a Hall of Fame champion (SS was also) who didn't have any problem at all with shipping to other states and other tracks. He did specifically despise the quirky, peanut buttery, sticky Churchill mud and seemed to flounder in it being a huge, extremely powerful horse with chronically bad, puffy ankles, though his talent, class and ability landed him 2nd's in those races. Though EG won & ran great in mud elsewhere. He was among many great horses (Skip Away, Point Given, Go For Wand, Holy Bull, etc) who hated Churchill, however he never ran over a fast track there. I don't think it was about having it his way, the states, the adapting, the surfaces or shipping at all. They BOTH had to ship for the 3 TC races and the BC. Easy Goer ALSO had to ship & adapt to different tracks, states and surfaces as well, as his shipping schedule was- from NY to Florida for the winter, from Florida to NY, from NY to Kentucky, then back to NY in between, then from NY to Maryland, from Maryland to NY, then upstate & back downstate NY, then from NY to Florida for the BC. If my count is correct, that is the same amount of ships as SS. Easy Goer ran many more races (and ran a much more strenuous post Triple Crown campaign) and also never got beat by more than 2 lengths (also never finishing off the board) in his career. SS had a much less strenuous post Triple Crown campaign. You can also look at the timing, distance and spacing of the so called prep races. Easy Goer ran a record mile in the Gotham, then 2 weeks later won the Wood Memorial, then only 2 weeks later was the start of the Triple Crown races (total of 5 races in 9 weeks). SS ran his last Derby prep 4 weeks out. EG also ran in the 1 1/2 mile Jockey Club against older horses in his 'prep' for the BC (after the Whitney, Travers, & Woodward, and defeated older horses conceding weight in a few of them), while SS had one easy 10f prep vs three year olds in the 3 months leading into the BC. But to me, It was most likely much more about track circumferences. Easy Goer did win on ALL the major track circumferences of USA dirt tracks (1 mile, 1 1/8 mile, 1 1/2 mile). EG was an Undefeated 5 for 5 over 1 1/8 miles tracks at all distances. SS did not win over all tracks. In fact, SS lost 3 races over larger 1 1/8 tracks (at his HOME track of Hollywood) and lost his 1 race over a 1 1/2 mile track by 8 lengths. EG's record over mile tracks (4 losses though narrow losses) was very similar to SS's record over 1 1/8 or larger tracks (SS lost 3 races at his home 1 1/8mile larger track & lost 4 races over 1 1/8 or bigger tracks). I think Easy Goer would (did) have had an advantage running over moderately wide & wider turned 1 1/8 mile tracks (or larger), regardless of state or region, in: Florida (Hialeah Park), Chicago (Arlington Park, where they were supposed to meet at age 4), Hollywood (California), Atlantic City (NJ), Saratoga (NY), Aqueduct (NY), Laurel Park (Maryland), Keeneland (KY), Ellis Park (KY), Colonial (Va.), Belmont (NY), and the current Gulfstream in Florida is also NOW a larger 1 1/8 mile oval. SS would (did) have had an advantage of running against EG on any sharper, tighter turned mile track, including in NY if they ran at the mile oval in Finger Lakes. I think Easy Goer did (would) have an advantage over Sunday Silence on 1 1/8 mile tracks or larger (while SS did-would have adv. on mile sized tracks). The way we saw these two horses run around the different sized turns (not only when they ran vs. each other, but in their careers) at various distances. The fact that Easy Goer was an undefeated 5 for 5 on 1 1/8 mile sized tracks, won 8 of 10 on the 1 1/2 mile sized track (total of 13 for 15 on larger tracks), but lost 4 of 5 on mile tracks. The fact that Sunday Silence won 7 of 8 on mile sized tracks, but lost 3 of 5 on 1 1/8 tracks and lost a total of 4 of 6 on 1 1/8 or larger tracks. Easy Goer was a robust, massive, powerful, long striding horse with club feet & oversized, puffy ankles & knees & was well suited, far more effective & excelled on 1 1/8 miles or larger tracks. Sunday Silence was a compact, short-actioned, cat like horse who was well suited , far more effective & excelled on the tighter, sharper turns of mile tracks. I think SS had (& would have) an advantage on sharper, tighter turned mile tracks vs EG, while EG had (& would have) an advantage on the moderately wide & wider turned 1 1/8m or larger tracks vs SS.
Charles Ray Easy Goer and Sunday Silence are both dead dude! I am an admirer of both of these great, dead horses. For that matter, Man O' War, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Citation, Noor, Kelso, Beau Purple, Onion, Angle Light, Prove Out, Spectacular Bid, Forego, Big Spruce, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Buckpasser and many others are also dead as well dude. Tell their admirers who comment on their videos to let it go also.
Charles Ray Perspective & a sense of humor I have. Random, incomprehensible comments? Actually, You made aimless, purposeless, meaningless comments (replies) & insults. Now, you state your derogatory rudeness was you just being facetious. Either way, your replies were meaningless.
Like many of the racing experts stated from both regions in the US(Crist,Nack,Christine,Hirsch,etc),and even stated by trainers Wayne Lukas and Woody Stephens, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of Espn,"Easy Goer was the better,more phenomenal,extraordinary horse, but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck in two races because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire,rode him horribly." Very true and correct IMO.
I think Easy Goer had the most talent and the most ability of any horse since Secretariat. Easy Goer ran so many beastly,gigantic colossal performances at every distance he ran. SS gets huge credit for what he was able to do vs. a mammoth,gigantic freak. I think SS would have given most big,great horses some problems specifically over sharp turned mile tracks.
Easy Goer, the better horse exploded by him. Easy Goer exploded & flew like a shot around that sharp turn at Gulfstream Park in the Swale. In spite of when Pat Day moved, or in spite of how fast or how slow Day moved, he would routinely back down and pull back after making moves, and put out the fire which was in full flame. Confusing him, start stop, easing up letting him down etc cost the better horse.
Day- "Absolute rider error. I was on the better horse. I got him beat." Easy Goer exploded and flew like a shot around that sharp turn at Gulfstream in the Swale Stakes. Pat Day's own words on the Classic. Thoroughbred Times, Nov. 10, 1989 Mark Simon article: "My horse put in a big run up the backside. Then I THROTTLED him BACK, and Settled him, and gave him a breather." More of Pat Day's own words on the Classic: Nov. 5, 1989 Sun Sentinel Dave Joseph article, "My ride wasn't the most desirable or most satisfactory. My horse put in a big run, then I settled him and gave him a breather when SS went." In spite of when Day moved, or in spite of how fast or not that he moved, he would always ease up, back down & pull back & put out the fire when in full flame (let down, confusing start, stop, start, stop) after making moves, as he did in both the Preakness & Classic.
When Easy Goer regained the lead at the top of the stretch vs Easy Goer in the Preakness, you have absolutely no evidence to support your claim that he was confused. You have no evidence that Easy Goer lost the race as a result of being confused. He had the lead in a straight stretch of track where he was supposed to be faster than Sunday Silence. You have no evidence that Easy Goer wasn't motivated to run faster than Sunday Silence at the point in the race. The only thing that you or anyone else knows was that he had the lead in the stretch and on a straight section of track, but he simply could not beat Sunday Silence. It appears he was too exhausted to get the job done.
No, there is no way anyone can know that. Maybe Day knew or would know, as he was the one who used those terms and rode the horse. I found a few times Day used those terms. Day said, "We very possibly shouldn't have been defeated in the Preakness. I got hammered pretty good after the race, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. The race was a real dogfight. My horse made a big move down the backside, catapulted himself to the lead, and if there were any mistakes made, it was probably at that point, when I just didn't continue on with him." Day also said in the TVG Interview video, "I got him beat the first time he ran. Not having ever been on him, not knowing what kind of explosive acceleration he had, not knowing anything about him except that Shug was pretty high on him. He's handling everything like a pro in the race, but I was unsure how responsive he was going to be. I pulled the trigger not knowing I was going to get the response that I did. When I called on him he exploded. I was 'concerned' after pulling the trigger on Easy Goer and him exploding and committing to go on, and then letting him down and 'confusing' him, start stop start stop." Though that was only his very first race, and both McGaughey and Day later said that EG didn't figure things out until after his first race; the light didn't go on until after he ran that first time. We may gather from this that Day was concerned about this type of riding when riding Easy Goer in any race, and that he may not want to ride EG this way in any race. Or he may have only been concerned about this way of riding him being that it was only his first race. The latter would make sense because Day rode him in many races specifically in the way he described in the video that would be 'concerning' to him. Preakness, Classic, Whitney, and Woodward come to mind. In many races, win or lose, like the Belmont Stakes, Travers, Champagne, Gotham, Cowdin, Suburban, Met, Juvenile, Gold Stage, Wood Memorial and Swale Stakes, Day didn't ride him in that 'start stop start stop' kind of way, which Day seemingly was 'concerned' about.
Pat Day also said, "I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness was absolutely due to a rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic." Shug McGaughey said, "I asked Day to ride Easy Goer for a few reasons, even though my No. 1 and No. 2 riders at the time were Angel Cordero and Randy Romero. One reason was, despite Easy Goer's superior breeding, his GI winning full sister Cadillacing who I also trained, was more of a one-run late-running sprinter. I had two aggressive jockeys ride her, both Randy Romero and Angel Cordero. Cordero, who was her main rider, was given proper instructions and knew her well. Cordero also rode their mother, champion Relaxing, who was trained by Penna. I'm going along with Easy Goer thinking he may only be a one-run late-running sprinter like his full sister Cadillacing. It turned out Easy Goer could run every distance brilliantly and do it in a variety of ways, and he had many runs in him. But I originally thought Day would be more patient on him than Cordero or Romero. I thought Cordero or Romero would be too aggressive of a rider on him. That's one reason why I chose Day." McGaughey, later after the Preakness, is quoted as saying, "I just want Day to be aggressive and, if it comes down to a mistake deciding the race, force the other rider into the mistake." McGaughey also said, "The other reason I chose Day to ride Easy Goer was because Pat Day helped him by not crucifying him in his races and he brought me back some horse. He had soundness problems, but we stayed on top of it. Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let him back in the race. But in the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Classic, maybe when Pat Day grabbed him after the start, the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Pat was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as he had done before, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence. I think anybody would say that if those two ran against each other ten times, each would probably win five."
"Better" is totally subjective. "Better" in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY LIMITED number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses. Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
Out of ALL the racing expert's all over the country who stated it, Paul Moran of Espn and Newsday stated it the most correctly, "Easy Goer was the better and more remarkably talented horse but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire." So TRUE and correct.
Like so many turf writer experts stated from all regions of the United States, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of Espn, "Easy Goer was the better and more amazingly and extraordinarily talented horse, but was defeated by an inch and desperate neck in two races because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire, rode him horribly." So true and correct
How is SS the "Better" Horse When this Rivalry came down to 1 Lucky "Nose" at the Wire from The Rivalry record being Tied at 2-2?...So SS was the Better Horse because He got the lucky "Nose" Photo in The Preakness?...Makes no sense...Not to mention EG being tightly pinned down on the rail the ENTIRE Stretch...This Rivalry was as Close as it Gets...As an EG fan i will not say he was "Better" than SS...But he was more "Talented" than SS...This Rivalry came down to Shug trying to Win EVERY Big race in NY while Whittingham Concentrated on getting SS ready for the BIG races and Especially the Classic as he had SS Unused and Very Fresh for that Race..Shug was Busy Putting EG through a long grueling campaign including at 12F
Absolutely, if Jerry Bailey, Angel Cordero, Laffit rode Easy Goer, Easy Goer NEVER ever gets beat an inch and desperate neck in two races because of despicable Pat Day rides. You are right my man
Michael Richardson Indeed! Cordero, Bailey, Pincay, Stevens, Valenzuela, McCarron on EG & EG wins them all. Woody Stephens, Whittingham, or Allen Jerkens training EG, EG wins them all. ss forced to run drug-free without any ped drugs, EG wins them all. Races run on bigger tracks with circumferences larger than a mile (Hialeah, Hollywood, Arlington, Saratoga, Aqueduct, Atlantic City, Laurel, etc), EG wins them all. Plus the illegal performance enhancing drugs given to the drug-reliant ss, which ss's vet Alex Harthill admitted to. ss forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state at the time which banned all drugs - and banned ss's illegal criminal vet Harthill - ss gets destroyed. Ditto Prized.
The True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion & Eclipse Award Champion Easy Goer was never beaten by more than 2 lengths in any race in his drug-free career in a much longer career running far more career races drug-free & winning G1's drug-free at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and 12f on all track sizes (8f, 9f & 12f sized tracks) with much less rest and time between races, carrying and conceding more weights, and running faster times at all distances, & far superior speed figures, far superior performance ratings. The Classic Distance for the Whole World is 12f (1 1/2m). Meanwhile, the drug-dependent and illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-dependent sunday silence was beaten by a Whopping 8 lengths (almost 4x times a bigger margin that the drug-reliant & illegal criminal veterinarian Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence was beaten without all of his illegal performance enhancing drugs) in a much shorter career with ped drugs needed and given, running far less career races, carrying and conceding less weights, and only won G1's with performance enhancing drugs and his illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill, and only at 9f to 10f only with performance enhancing drugs and only on small 8f sized tracks and with much more rest and time between races and ran far less career races even with performance enhancing drugs. Talk about a horse that needed to bring his illegal performance enhancing drugs and illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill with him - ss is just that horse, a drug-reliant horse, an illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant horse! Talk about a horse that needed to bring his one sized small 8f track with him, ss is just that horse.
Prior to This 89 Classic Easy Goers Ankles Were Swelled to The Size of Grapefruits...They Discussed Scratching Him and He Ran a Heck of a Race Under The Circumstances...Better Ride and 100% Healthy Horse and EG Wins This Race Fairly Easily
That's 100% Truth. The truth also is the fact that the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence was given the illegal performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze, Etorphine, Furosemide (scientifically proven to give a 9 length performance enhancement), etc, while the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion ran drug-free without any drugs, & ss still only by the narrowest of margins with all of ped drugs. When ss was forced to run drug-free without any drugs (& without his banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill as well), not only did the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer cremate ss, but ss barely beat the bottom level maiden claimer Le Voyageur. The True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer - even with puffy, problematic ankles, knees & shins, a clubfoot, a crooked turned-out left knee & cracks in both front feet - won 14 races drug-free without any drugs, while the drug-dependent & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-dependent sunday silence won 0 races drug-free without any drugs.
Sunday Silence's vet Alex Harthill told all how & why the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence beat the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer by the slimmest of margins in a few races. Harthill said, "You can only REVERE the horses (Easy Goer, etc) whom my horses (Sunday Silence, etc) defeated even more, to do all they (Easy Goer, etc) were asked to do, just to fall a slight bit short (Easy Goer, etc) of horses (Sunday Silence, etc) who had been given performance-enhancing drugs (Sunday Silence, etc) by myself." The True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer cremated the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence when ss was forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state in the entire country at the time which banned all drugs, & as importantly also banned ss's illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill as well. DRF 01 article: "Kentucky Derby Doctor Alex Harthill Reveals Disgraceful Past: Harthill Reflects on Unlawful Life's Work. Harthill Discloses He Administered Forbidden Performance-Enhancing Drugs To Many American Classic Winners In The Kentucky Derby, Preakness And Breeders' Cup Classic." How about the Belmont Stakes & the enormous amount of the other major G1 stakes races in New York? How about when the Breeders Cup took place in NY? Harthill was barred in NY. NY also was the only state in the entire country during that era which banned all drugs. NY also had the most advanced out-of-competition, training & raceday testing, & tested for an enormous amount of drugs. DRF 01 Hovdey article: "Alex Harthill was BOLD ENOUGH to tell me (Hovdey/DRF) how he illegally gave numerous horses illegal drugs, INCLUDING Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine TO SUNDAY SILENCE. Harthill ADMITTED to illegally breaking the laws in ENHANCING his horses PERFORMANCES. Harthill ADMITTED to illegally using the immensely effective performance enhancing Bronchodilator drug Clenbuterol REGULARLY in the 1980's on his horses, 15 years before it was approved by the FDA, INCLUDING USING IT ON SUNDAY SILENCE. Harthill introduced the incredibly effective performance enhancing drug Clenbuterol in the 1980's & illegally administered it TO SUNDAY SILENCE, who benefited immeasurably by its immensely effective performance enhancing effects. Some of Harthill's other drugs that HE ADMINISTERED TO SUNDAY SILENCE were Etorphine & Sublimaze. The drug Clenbuterol has a similar effect on the body as Epinephrine & Amphetamines by increasing the production of Epinephrine & Noradrenaline, & thus significantly enhancing performance. Clenbuterol also thins blood & widens the vessels that carry oxygen, so the volume of oxygen in the blood increases, & thus significantly increases energy, & thus significantly enhances performance. Clenbuterol is an extraordinary drug with 2 completely different effects that dramatically & greatly enhance performance, & significantly enhance speed, stamina, endurance, lung capacity & energy levels; it greatly aids breathing by significantly expanding the air passages in the lungs letting air flow much more freely, & it dramatically reduces body fat by causing rapid fat burning. The drug Clenbuterol performed miracles for horses who made inexplicable improvements with major enhancements in performance. Etorphine is an Opiate 80,000 Times More Powerful than Morphine. Sublimaze is a potent narcotic. The drugs Etorphine & Sublimaze are drugs that give horses such a sense of euphoria & well-being that they feel like they don’t have legs. The drugs Harthill administered were being used to improve a horse's performance, & they were REMARKABLY EFFECTIVE. Harthill was the vet that manipulated horse races & he Publicly Acknowledged Doing So many times. The US DEA filed suit against Alex Harthill on 102 charges of possessing & using unusual quantities of these & other drugs. Alex Harthill & drugs have led to the destruction of integrity in racing. Harthill was at the vanguard of giving drugs to horses that were used to vastly enhance their performances, & they were remarkably effective turning good horses into great horses, bad horses into good horses, slower horses into faster horses, horses with no business winning doing so, & causing horses to run far over their heads. Harthill was a vet who had stolen a 30 length lead in the race to discover drugs that would significantly move up racehorses, & Harthill had no hesitancy in using whatever was available. Harthill was a magic man vet practicing the dark arts of racehorse manipulation. Harthill was arrested many times for tampering, bribery & doping horses with drugs. Alex Harthill did more cheating with drugs to win horse races than any vet in history. Harthill's innovation in this area got him arrested many times for illegally injecting horses with numerous drugs & for public bribery. Harthill bribed state officials to throw away positive drug tests from horses that he had treated, & lost his license in many states. Harthill was the vet that manipulated horse races & he Publicly Acknowledged Doing So many times. Harthill was the most important factor in countless outcomes of numerous races. Harthill made Bob Baffert, Rick Dutrow, etc., look like Altar Boys." Harthill said, 'I was used for horses pointing for, & running in, MAJOR RACES who NEEDED DRUGS & had INFIRMITIES. I earned the reputation I had. I am very proud of the horses I helped WITH DRUGS IN THEIR CAREERS. Drugs always go through changing stages of being detected on drug tests. What I focused on was what drugs enhanced performance, together with what drugs could conceal illegal drugs, along with what drugs didn't show up on drug tests. For these reasons, I gave my horses a considerable advantage. Trainers would say, Don't get me caught, but keep me worried. Even though a horse is 5 or 7 times larger than humans, the amount of dope needed to have an effect is so small. An amount on the tip of a match would be enough to flick up a horse's nose to get a spectacular result. By the time they got my horses to the starting gate they’d be leaping out of their skin. I administered illegal drugs throughout my career that INCREASED the performances of racehorses IN CLASSIC RACES, & almost all of the time I did so, my horses won. You can only revere the horses whom my horses defeated even more, to do all they were asked to do, just to fall a slight bit short of horses who had been given performance-enhancing drugs by myself. By doing so, I acknowledge that I effectively stole a large amount of money in my career, & cheated many other horses, trainers, owners & riders I competed against. Nonetheless, I consider my extensive doping as a mark of pride.' " Besides Harthill admitting it, there is the CERTAINTY of MOUNDS of more evidence regarding Harthill's illegalities. It should also be noted Lasix is a potent ped drug & the main drug which masks & flushes other banned drugs; plus it reduces body weight by 16 to 25lbs, & the study of 23k races shows Lasix gives a significant 9 length performance enhancement. It's the truth based on Harthill's voluntary admission to DRF Hovdey in 01, plus all of the 88-90 DRFs; 2012 NY Post article titled "The 11 horses who missed out on Triple Crown at Belmont" found on the web; DRF's Mike Watchmaker, Ed Fountaine & Paul Moran; Wikipedia articles with many reliable sources cited; 2 Claiborne books; NY Law; DRF, Bloodhorse & Thor. Record/Times; & mounds more.
Like so many turf writer experts stated from all regions of the country, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of espn, "Easy Goer was the better and more extraordinary and remarkable horse, but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck in two races because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire,rode him horribly." So true and correct.
Better in any way to completely subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). Hall of Fame champ Easy Goer never had to bring his track with him - EG won on mile tracks, 1 1/8m tracks, and 1 1/2m tracks. SS did not. SS lost 3 of 5 on 1 1/8m sized tracks (LOSING record at his home track losing 3 races there), and SS lost 4 of 6 on 1 1/8m or larger tracks. EG won G1 races at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and 12f all without any drugs; SS ONLY won G1 races at 9f to 10f with drugs; that's a huge difference in versatility. That's also like saying that Sunday Silence never won when racing without his drugs. That's also like saying that SS never won on larger circumferenced tracks (lost 4 of 6) of a 1 1/8 miles or larger. That's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him with his drugs; that's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him on smaller circumferenced tracks because ss's record on 1 1/8 miles or larger circumferenced tracks (LOST 4 of 6, and LOST 3 times at his larger circumferenced Hollywood Park track) was similar to EG's record on smaller circumferenced tracks. Of course Easy Goer won outside drugfree New York, the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. And in the process, Easy Goer ran the fastest 7f of the year in Florida while doing so. Fellow Hall of Famer Forego LOST ALL of his races outside New York and Florida - Forego lost all 4 of his races outside NY and Florida. Hall of Famer Kelso lost an amazing 16 races outside NY. Hall of Famer Zenyatta only won in California and Arkansas. Hall of Famer Ruffian only won in NY and NJ. Hall of Famer Beholder only won in California, and lost all 4 of her races outside California. Hall of Famers Ack Ack and Native Diver only won in California. Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes (the classic distance for the whole world) where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs & medications. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
Better is totally subjective. ACTUALLY, THE CLASSIC DISTANCE FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD IS A MILE AND A HALF. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes (the classic distance for the whole world) where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs & medications. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
The only Hall of Fame inductions, Eclipse Awards, races & records that count are those that were/are run drug-free without any performance enhancing drugs at all, without any drugs at all, & that is why the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer's Hall of Fame induction, Eclipse Awards, races & records count (& Not the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence), & the legal, moral, ethical score is Easy Goer 14 wins drug-free without any drugs, SS 0 drug-free without any drugs; Easy Goer 14, SS 0; EG 1, ss 0. The TRUE DRUG-FREE HALL OF FAME CHAMPION EASY GOER earned induction in the Hall of Fame & earned Eclipse Awards while doing it drug-free without any ped drugs, without any drugs, in all of his races in his career; while the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence did it with the illegal performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol (an extraordinarily powerful performance enhancing drug), Sublimaze (an extraordinarily powerful performance enhancing drug; & significantly more powerful than aspirin bute) & Etorphine (an extraordinarily powerful performance enhancing drug; & significantly more powerful than aspirin bute), plus the powerful performance enhancing diuretic drug Furosemide/Lasix (a study of 23,000 races proved it gives a 6 TO 9 LENGTH performance enhancement, plus it reduces body weight by 16lbs to 25 pounds, & is the main drug which masks other drugs), etc etc. Harthill admitted he gave the illegal performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine to sunday silence. Harthill was arrested, banned, suspended & fined numerous times in many states for giving many horses illegal performance enhancing drugs. During that era New York was the only state in the entire country that banned all drugs, & had the most advanced out-of-competition & raceday drug testing. Plus, as importantly, NY banned the illegal criminal vet of ss Alex Harthill [arrested an endless amount of times for illegally drugging an endless amount of horses; & Harthill admitted that he illegally gave illegal performance enhancing drugs (Clenbuterol, Sublimaze, Etorphine, etc) to ss]. During that era, it was a huge credit to NY [& the rest of the whole world] that the endless amount of their championship G1 races stood as gigantic obstacles to drug-reliant horses like ss; & these horses, like ss & many others, got exposed badly when they were forced to run drug-free with no-drugs at all. ONLY no-drugs races were/are true championship races. Only no-drugs races could/can be called championship races. Only No-drugs races kept/keep the outcomes crystal clear. No-drugs races are the only true tests of champions. That is integrity, honesty, fair play & complete fairness for all. EG dusted ss when ss was forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state in the whole country during that era which banned all drugs, & as importantly also banned ss's illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill as well. EG only lost by the slimmest of margins in a few races to ss because ss needed & was given the ped drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine, plus Furosemide/Lasix (a study of 23,000 races showed it gives a 6 to 9 length performance enhancement), etc etc. Easy Goer won 14 races, 12 stakes races, 9 G1 races drug-free without any drugs on all 3 sized tracks (8f, 9f & 12f sized tracks) at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f with much less time & rest between races & ran many more career races in faster times at all distances; while ss only won G1 races at 9f to 10f with ped drugs & only on small 8f sized tracks with much more time & rest between races & ran far less career races. Easy Goer was far better & far superior. Period. EG demolished ss when they were forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state in the whole country during that era which banned all drugs. EG was the better horse plain & simple. It's the truth based on Harthill's voluntary admission to DRF Hovdey in 01, plus all of the 88-90 DRF Forms; 2012 NY Post article titled "The 11 horses who missed out on Triple Crown at Belmont" found on the web; DRF's Mike Watchmaker, Ed Fountaine & Paul Moran; Wikipedia articles with many reliable sources cited; 2 Claiborne books; NY Law; DRF, Bloodhorse & Thor. Record; & mounds more. 120% Case closed.
The drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence did awful when forced to run drug-free without any drugs - ss was 0 for 5 when forced to run drug-free without any drugs. The drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence did awful when forced to run without his banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill - ss was 0 for 5 when forced to run without his banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill. The drug-dependent & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-dependent sunday silence did awful on larger tracks with circumferences bigger than 8f - ss was 0 for 5 on larger tracks with circumferences bigger than 8f.
Why is it so damn hard for some to admit that Sunday Silence was a great TB racehorse??? The proof is right before their eyes and ears!!
Easy Goer and Sunday Silence certainly were two of the best. What a rivalry. Both Easy
Goer and Sunday Silence are underrated to me. They came from the largest foal crop ever of over 50,000 foals, plus other competitors from other huge foal crops in the 1980's. Easy Goer and Sunday Silence most likely denied the other immortality, as both horses most likely would have been immortal Triple Crown winners if not for the other.
Easy Goer's brilliance, acceleration, speed, power and stamina was magnificent at all distances of ground that he ran; from six and a half furlongs to a mile and a half. And what he accomplished after the Triple Crown races was monumental. Both Easy Goer and Sunday Silence indeed were Triple Crown quality horses. Both were the real deal superstars.
Both great horses, and a thrilling fantastic race from both horses. Something I've
always liked about Easy Goer, was his smooth and easy power, and stamina. If
this race was 1.5 miles like the Belmont, Easy Goer wins it quite easy, as you can
see him toward the end of this race, closing in on Sunday's Silence, but ran out
of real estate. Also Goer's jockey holds him back too long, before making a move.
This has cost Easy Goer some wins in my opinion. I'm a Seattle Slew, and Easy
Goer fan, and you can't help but admire the sure greatness of Secretariat.
Pat Day always known as a patient rider,rode EG like clown and cost him a TC
I was there for this race. Still one of the most exciting ever. Both Sunday Silence and Easy Goer were amazing on equal terms. But in the record books..Sunday Silence holds the edge.
Easy Goer in the breeding shed? Easy Goer tragically died very young, with only a few crops, only 135 foals, 53 mares. "There are many reasons to regret the early loss of Easy Goer, who combined blistering speed over a mile with thoroughly genuine stamina." Sire, Broodmare Sire, GrandSire & Great GrandSire to many: Corinthian (won G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, G1 Met Mile etc), Storm Flag Flying (Champion 2 year old filly, won G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1 Personal Ensign, G1 Frizette, G1 Matron etc), My Flag (won G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1 CCA Oaks, G1 Ashland, G1 Gazelle etc), Will's Way (won G1 Whitney, G1 Travers etc), Lion Tamer (won G1 Cigar Mile,etc), Magical Fantasy (won G1 Gamely, G1 Yellow Ribbon, G1 Del Mar Oaks, G1 John Mabee, etc), Mull of Kyntire, Astronomer Royal (won G1 French 2,000 Guineas etc), Furlough G1 Ballerina etc), Composer (won Jim Dandy etc), Relaxing Rhythm (won Molly Pitcher etc), Monba (G1 Blue Grass), Funny Moon (G1 CCA Oaks, Shuvee etc), Araafa (won G1 St. James Palace, G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas,etc) etc. Given Easy Goer’s own superb pedigree and the quality of mates he received during his few seasons at Claiborne, there is every reason to believe that he would have made an even more significant contribution had he lived longer."
"Easy Goer was Adonis-like, the closest thing physically to Secretariat. He was plagued by terrible ankles his entire career, but was placed upon a throne at an early age and validated all the admiration and exaltation. Easy Goer had bad shins (needed pinfiring), puffy, problematic ankles, a clubfoot, and a deformed, turned-out left knee. Easy Goer was a glowing chestnut with a fluid stride that belied his short pasterns and less than perfect feet. Pasterns notwithstanding, he had the look of greatness, and he ran to his looks."
ERNIE'S words will live FOREVER! He says, "Hall of Fame champion Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32, second fastest Belmont of all time,many of the most historic races won by many Hall of Fame horses on or near track records at every distance. He deserved better in that superb campaign he was put through." Words that will live forever in infamy
Sunday Silence’s brilliant tactical acceleration, one of a kind athleticism and champion heart more than likely closed the door on Easy Goer.
*"And Sunday Silence HOLDS ON!! And he wins by a desperate length!!"* Now that line right there is so epic, I cant stop hearing that!
It was "a desperate neck". Still epic. Perhaps the greatest call of Tom Durkin's career. He was awesome.
@@sammey1919 Even more epic
@@sammey1919 1998 Belmont was Durkin's greatest call ever, maybe THE greatest call ever.
@@jesusthroughmary there is NOTHING that compares with " he is moving like a tremendous machine"
Sunday Silence never felt the whip in the stretch,While easy goer was beat to death by Pat Day.Silence was in a hand ride.
Easy Goer and S.S. Two greats. Easy Goer, like a shot with a very bold, bold burst of speed down the backside, then geared down, then another bold, bold burst of speed gobbling up real estate, finishing with a flourish, one jump short by a very rapidly diminishing neck, soaring by.
Ernie states and stated this: "EASY GOER was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three yr old mile of all time, second fastest Belmont of all time. He deserved much better than to be put through that amazing campaign he was put through." Those words live forever.
Wins by a desperate neck is an understatement, Easy Goer was surging past Sunday Silence not 10 feet past the finish line!
Good thing they don't run 1 1/4 miles and ten feet....
What would you expect when he was ridden by Pat ron franklin-esque Day.
That was totally expected because he was ridden by Pat ron franklin esque Day. Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a "teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it." Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
Sunday Silence had a tendency to lose focus and drift when he had a lead. Notice how Chris McCarron looks back as they go down the stretch, sees Easy Goer coming, and then shows SS the stick, getting SS to pick it up just enough to hold Easy Goer off. Late in Sunday Silence's career they finally understood that he doesn't respond will to being hit with stick. Just showing SS the stick produced a little more from him and they needed that at the end.
In answer to your question, what I "expect" is for you to use Pat Day as a scapegoat because you are bitterly disappointed that EG lost. The truth is you don't know Easy Goer would have fared better with a different jockey. For all you or anyone else knows, Easy Goer might have done worse.
Easy Goer's acceleration was unmatched between a mile and a mile and a half. All one has to do is watch that MASTERFUL PERFORMANCE in the 1989 Belmont, WOW!!
+orisha19 my favorite racehorse, affirmed, ran the last mile of his belmont while hooked with alydar, whose accomplishments are lost because of affirmed. alydar would have beaten these other fine animals. horses run against horses and not the clock, and affirmed running a 2:26+ belmont while alydar was at his side is a greater accomplishment in the belmont than any other than big red's.
+Rabbi Ingber You may be right about the match race aspect, because they were hooked up in a duel for the last mile, but Easy Goer's move approaching the quarter pole is a thing of Equestrian power that is truly unforgettable. While we are at it, the dogged determination of AP Indy in 1992 coming down the stretch in a duel with My Memoirs and Pine Bluff at the Belmont in 2:26 flat, is also unforgettable as well.
+orisha19 i wanted easy goer to win the races, but pat day cost him the first two by getting EG stuck own the rail. my father, OBM, went to one of the sales that sunday silence was entered but withdrawn because the bids did not reach the expectations. my dad came back from kentucky, showed me the pedigree page and told me that this was the most beautiful horse he'd ever seen, but didn't have a quarter million dollars + to buy him. he carried that pedigree page in his wallet the rest of his life.
So as beat him was twice 11/4.
Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There are an endless amount of all time greats who were behind or tied in head to head records, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Shuvee, John Henry, Pleasant Colony, Serena's Song, Silverbulletday, Swaps, Nashua, Sir Barton, Skip Away and many others. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by SS against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of lesst han two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge vs EG with 3 wins coming in very close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type & Cro Lover. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; John Henry got beat 4 out of 4 by Cabrini Green; John Henry got beat 3 out of 3 by Darby Creek Road; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
"Day knew his errors cost him." You are very correct. Day knew his errors cost the better horse, and many more also knew it.
Bloodhorse also stated: "Easy Goer MET and FULFILLED those dreams and expectations embodied in his powerful chestnut frame and authored an unforgettable Hall of Fame championship career, and will always be mentioned in the same awed breath as the GREATEST of ALL TIME."
It certainly was Pat Day's "baby hands and kid gloves" riding of a Hall of Fame champion horse who combined blazing record speed at a mile and shorter distances,with a thorughly supreme amd brilliant stamina that got him defeated by a nostril and desperate neck in two outs.
ERNIE'S words will live FOREVER! He says, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time, many of the most historic races on or near track records. He deserved better in that amazing campaign he was put through." His words will live forever, will live in infamy.
The outcome of these races speak for themselves. Sunday Silence always broke alertly and raced smartly on or near the front...Never in trouble. His incredible turn of foot was never more evident as simply ran away from Easy Goer " The Race of the Decade"... Campion 3 year old and Eclipse Award Winning Horse of the Year for 1989...Sunday Silence was just to much Hoss...That my good friends pretty much says it all
Ernie's words will live FOREVER, He states, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, record three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time behind Secretariat. He deserved better in that amazingly brilliant campaign he was put through." Words that will live forever.
ERNIE'S words will live FOREVER. He says, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time. He deserved better than that amazingly historic campaign he was put through." Words that will ive forever.
What a race and what a rivalry between two extraordinary horses. In the Preakness, these two overwhelmingly sensational champions, Easy Goer and Sunday Silence, each had the lead at about five or six different points in the race. Maybe more. On the backstretch, then Easy Goer rocketing past on the backstretch, Sunday Silence second turn, top of the stretch, then through the home stretch a few times back and forth. It doesn't count, but after the finish line when the race was over, Easy Goer was back in front. That's breathtaking to have that many lead changes. What a race. Eight lengths in the Belmont is a big difference between a nose with each horse having the lead at five or six different points through the Preakness, but a win is a win no matter the margin. It counts just the same. What a race between two sensational horses. In this race, it appeared as if it could have been more of the same, a repeat of the Preakness, down the backstretch when Easy Goer made that big move again. The multifaceted Easy Goer with big time speed was much closer in the Preakness, but uncharacteristically was far behind early in this race. Sunday Silence held on by a neck as Easy Goer rocketed past an instant, a split second past the line. What a race and what a rivalry.
Easy Goer, the Hall of Fame champion, one of the rare greats that combined blazing, record speed at a mile and shorter distances, along with a thoroughly supreme and genuine stamina to run the second fastest Belmont of all time,and was thoroughly supreme at every distance in between,one of the rare ones. And Pat Day rode him with "kid gloves and baby hands", rode him awful to get him beat a nostril and desperate neck in two outs.
"I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness was absolutely due to a rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic." That's Pat Day for us.
"Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let him back in the race. But in the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Classic, maybe when Pat Day grabbed him after the start, the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Pat was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as he had done before, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence. I think anybody would say that if those two ran against each other ten times, each would probably win five." - Shug McGaughey
They faced each other 4 times, easy goer beat him once.Watch the stretch run Sunday Silence never felt the whip while day beat easy goer to death.Horses with tactical speed like Sunday Silence will always be better than one run closers.
Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There are an endless
amount of all time greats who were behind or tied in head to head
records, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr. Fager,
Damascus, Shuvee, John Henry, Pleasant Colony, Serena's Song,
Silverbulletday, Swaps, Nashua, Sir Barton, Skip Away and many others.
There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer
destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era
that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by SS against
Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS
won by a combined margin of lesst han two and three-quarter lengths. So
SS held the slight 3-1 edge vs EG with 3 wins coming in very close wins
and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile
one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a
better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their
respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest,
fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F,
9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence
at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday
Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all
timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F.
Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including
Houston, Prized, Criminal Type & Cro Lover. Neither the Easy Goer/SS
example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was
"better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to
consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the
records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races
certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you
were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it
even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which
is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG
in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better
overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally
subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were
behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including
Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua,
John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many
others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4
by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got
beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by
Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown
winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; John Henry got
beat 4 out of 4 by Cabrini Green; John Henry got beat 3 out of 3 by
Darby Creek Road; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; &
there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much
less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran
mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned
all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between
races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run
in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6
races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks
with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's
record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks,
size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region,
rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being
allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot
be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much
more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine
the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in
can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races.
It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because
other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth
looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is
flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to :
superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded
Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running
times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances,
head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried
& weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open
company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior
campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority &
dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers,
training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run,
track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career
earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications
allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc
etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally
subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors.
Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9
Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing
versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6
Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile
indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also
defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a
good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses
only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor
Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to
run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running
times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e)
career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8
million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9
to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older
horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1
stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS
at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 &
a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was
defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career;
& other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying
distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records,
running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns,
durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average
win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight
concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO
Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors
& categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are
factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats,
but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and
had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in
head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more
other than head to heads.
Travis West @@DELMARCLUB1
Edwin Pope also said it, "After being in the clouds for the first 6 1/2f of the race, Pat Day put out the fire of a splendid Hall of Fame champion colt's in full flame. If McCarron and Day had switched mounts, or Cordero or Laffit rode Easy Goer, Easy Goer's champion chestnut head would be fitted today for the crown of all racing." I agree
I'm a racing fan from the UK and this great race was the first Dirt race that I watched on t.v. when I was a kid. For me, this should be rated as the best Breeders Cup Classic ever run because of the great rivalry leading into it between these two magnificent racehorses. I've watched back what Easy Goer and Sunday Silence did on the racetrack in 1989. It's clear that both would have been undefeated and Triple Crown winners had they not had each other to beat. I really feel as time has passed that both don't recieve the recognition that they deserve for how great they were. If you asked every race fan in America to rank the best horses that they'd seen the sad fact is that Zenyatta and American Pharoah would be ranked far higher than Easy Goer & Sunday Silence. That annoy's me. I know that what American Pharoah has done so far this year has been exceptional and he's clearly a super horse. However, in my opinion if you put Easy Goer or Sunday Silence up against the horses AM has beaten they would both have looked just as impressive.
I would argue that Alysheba best a stronger field, beating Seeking the gold, forty miner, and Cryptoclearance ( in the mud, in the dark) 3/2 on the two time HOY...
Very well said my friend. As a kid watching I actually watched all 4 of these races live and was a easy goer fan.heartbreak but respect definitely to Sunday silence
What a shame Pat Day blew it again just didn't learn about the early pace and let sunday silence beat him early with a carefree non-aggressive early ride.
Rankings, awards, etc. awards. Racing expert Charles Justice's objective, statistical study and rankings in his book "The Greatest Horse of All," ranked Easy Goer the 2nd best 3 year old of all time behind only Secretariat, and ahead (cossidered greater) of many greats including Dr Fager, Damascus, Sunday Silence, Bid, Man o' War, Native Dancer, Slew, etc. His study was based on objective, statistical factors like times, track variants, average times, average distance run, average speed, top speed, weights, post positions, speed ratings, time between races, time vs distance run, time vs weights, records set and near records run, foal crop, stakes races won, winning margins, etc. A numerous amount of greats were behind or tied in head to heads vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; and there are many other similar examples.
The Bloodhorse rankings by a small seven person panel are just as subjective and flawed as any other. Does this make the Blood horse panel of seven official, true, right and the authority? Of course not. In the foreword written in the beginning of the Bloodhorse top 100 book, they even admit how subjective and debatable their list - or any list - is, as they said: Blood-Horse stated that its rankings "will generate debate for years to come." The electoral friction was ultimately reflected in the introduction to the Blood-Horse's "Top 100 Racehorses" book, which said, "For all the work and dreaming that went into it, one approaches the list with a nagging sense of its folly as a rational exercise and of the maddening arbitrariness of its outcome. However one views the list, whether in peace - or shock and dismay - all such judgments, of course, are ENTIRELY SUBJECTIVE, a mixture of WHIM, wisdom, and whatever prejudices howl through the mind." In the Greatest Horse of All book by Charles Justice, Easy Goer was ranked the second best three year old of all time behind only Secretariat, and Ahead of Citation, Sunday Silence, Dr Fager, Damascus etc etc. Better is subjective and flawed; and who is better objectively is also flawed. The subjective, flawed Blood-horse list was done by ONE small panel of seven racing writers. There are plenty of racing writers that were not on this panel that state that Easy Goer was better than SS, including Alan Shuback, Edwin Pope, Dave Litfin, Steve Crist, Mike Watchmaker, Dick Jerardi, Paul Moran, Bill Finley, Andy Serling, etc etc . The Racing Post, Racing Times, Timeform, World Thoroughbred Rankings, Associated Press, Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Times, Thoroughbred Record, Sports Illustrated, Espn etc., all did not do subjective ranking lists of the top 100. If they had, many horses would have been ranked differently. SI & AP ranked a top 10, and horses four through ten were ranked differently than the Bloodhorse.
Who's true, right, official and the authority on this? Sports Illustrated, Associated Press, Blood horse, Charles Justice etc? NONE!. Oh, and in the Bloodhorse top 100, Buckpasser was ranked narrowly ahead of Damascus (head to head winner over Buckpasser by 10 lengths); Dr Fager (lost 2 of 4 to Damascus by a combined 12 lengths) was ranked ahead of Damascus; Spectacular Bid was ranked narrowly ahead of Affirmed (head to head winner over Bid); Seattle Slew was ranked narrowly ahead of Affirmed; Swaps was ranked narrowly ahead of Nashua (1 to 1 head to head); Man O War was ranked narrowly ahead of Secretariat and Citation; Citation was ranked far ahead of Noor, who beat him in 4 of 5 races; War Admiral was ranked ahead of Seabiscuit, yet Seabiscuit beat War Admiral head to head; Majestic Prince was ranked far ahead of Arts and Letters; Native Dancer was ranked narrowly ahead of Tom Fool; Cigar was ranked far ahead of Skip Away and Holy Bull; Alysheba was ranked but Bet Twice was not - 5 to 4 head to head; Round Table was ranked far ahead of Sword Dancer; Round Table was ranked narrowly ahead of Bold Ruler, yet Bold Ruler was ahead in head to head races. Does this make the Blood horse panel of seven official, true, right and the authority? Absolutely not. The Racing Post, Racing Times, Timeform, World Thoroughbred Rankings, Associated Press, Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Times, Thoroughbred Record, Sports Illustrated, Espn etc also do subjective ranking lists of the top 100 - many horses including Easy Goer and SS would be ranked differently.
One of the most gutsy races I have ever seen. Easy looked done at the very top of the stretch and never gives up. He gave up 4 lengths to Sunday at the top and still about ran him down. It's my favorite Easy Goer race all time because it shows exactly the tenacious effort he gave every time he ran. Reminds me of Alydar.
Ran him down? Are we watching the same race? Watching with your heart not your eyes. Good comparison to Alydar who also had secondnitis.
@edmorales3951 from 4 lengths back, because of his incompetent Jockey, to losing by a nose is running him down. EG deserved a better jockey than Pat, a day late, Day
@@michaelrichardson6051 Just think if they go 1 1/2. lol EG by 10 again...
@@realtruth2817 SS by 3 wins to eg 1 win
@@realtruth2817 Take eg out his home state and hes not winning anything
The Preakness was the Real Race of the Decade between these two-- one of the best ever-- I was always believe Easy Goes was slightly better, and Sunday Silence was better ridden. But the 4 races in 1989 ill never forget. RIP Easy Goer.
You are correct. It was the Preakness that was the race of the decade. It was even on ESPN Top 10 sports moments of the decade, not the BC. The Preakness was a great finish not only sport-wise, but poetically beautiful. In exact matching stride to the wire, red and black horse, so perfectly matched that the oft-printed finish photo showed only SS as he blocked out EG.
This race boils down to the 3/8ths Pole at the 2:18 mark...This is where Easy Goer lost the race...look at Pat Day just sitting on Easy Goer and not pushing him at all as Sunday Silence moved toward the lead...Pat Day sits on easy goer like a statue...Anyone have any idea what he was waiting for?...This left him with too much ground to make up in stretch...Will never understand this ride and tactics by Pat Day...if he Pushes Easy Goer when Sunday Silence moves to the lead he would have won fairly easily
That is why he was called Pat A Day Late.
How blessed we're we all to get these two dynamic champions in the same year!?! I miss these two.💓
Would've been more of a blessing to get them in separate years.
Like Affirmed and Alydar.
Both great horses, and a thrilling fantastic race from both horses. Something I've
always liked about Easy Goer, was his smooth and easy power, and stamina. If
this race was 1.5 miles like the Belmont, Easy Goer wins it quite easy, as you can
see him toward the end of this race, closing in on Sunday's Silence, but ran out
of real estate. Also Goer's jockey holds him back too long, before making a move.
This has cost Easy Goer some wins in my opinion. I'm a Seattle Slew, and Easy
Goer fan, and you can't help but admire the sure greatness of Secretariat.
Easy Goer would have won if he had made his move sooner. He holds the track time at Belmont as the second fastest horse.
He came late because he ran off the pace, he tried to move on the turn and got the worst of it, damn good horse, just lost to a better one....,three out of four times, enough said.
The great Hall of Fame champion Easy Goer was very versatile; he could go to the lead through blazing fractions, stalk close up, etc. Easy Goer also ran a still-standing record mile in 1:32 2/5, just 1/5 off Dr. Fager's world record and the fastest mile ever run by any 3 year old; second fastest Belmont of all time behind only Secretariat; ran some of the fastest editions of the Champagne at 1 mile, Gotham at 1 mile, Belmont at 1 1/2 miles, Whitney at 1 1/8 miles, Travers at 1 1/4 miles, Suburban at 1 1/4 miles, near 6 1/2f track record, and fastest 7f of the year in Florida as well. Certainly not enough said. Better? Better is totally subjective and includes and endless amount of factors, and even after all the other numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective; and numerous greats were behind or tied vs. other horses. Citation lost four out of five times to Noor; Kelso lost three out of four times to Beau Purple; Dr. Fager lost two out of four times to Damascus; Forego lost two out of three times to both Wajima and Big Spruce; John Henry lost three out of three times to Darby Creek Road; John Henry lost two out of three times to both Interco and Mehmet; Shuvee lost four out of five times to Gallant Bloom; Sir Barton lost eight out of twelve times to Billy Kelly; Skip Away lost four out of six times to Formal Gold; Unbridled lost four out of six times to Summer Squall; Pleasant Colony lost three out of four times to Akureyri; and numerous others. Who was better is totally subjective and there are numerous factors, and even after those factors are factored in, who was better is totally subjective.
ss held the 3 to 1 edge. Who was better? Better, like beauty, is totally
subjective. They were both greats no doubt, but IMO other than SSs slim
edge in their head to head races, Easy Goer was better than SS in most
- if not all - these other factors and categories. Both greats, but In
my opinion Easy Goer was a better horse than SS, and had a superior body
of work and career than SS. But of course, once again, better in any
way is still totally subjective. Many many greats were behind or tied
on the head to head scoreboard - Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego,
Skip Away, Dr Fager, Damascus, Arts and Letters, Swaps, Nashua, Round
Table, Ancient Title, John Henry, Unbridled, Silverbulletday, Serenas
Song, Pleasant Colony, Sir Barton,
Ferdinand, Native Diver, and many many others. Easy Goer was much more
flashy & dominant, while SS was more workmanlike. Who was better
though?
Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder.
Better is subjective, and there are numerous factors. And even after
those factors are factored in, who was better is totally subjective.
Noor beat immortal Citation 4 out of 5 races. Beau Purple beat
immortal Kelso 3 out of 4. Big Spruce beat immortal Forego 2 out of 3.
Interco and Mehmet beat lengendary champ John Henry 2 out of 3.
Cabrini Green beat John Henry 4 of 4. Darby Creek Road beat legendary
John Henry 3 of 3. HOF (Hall of Fame) champ Damascus beat HOF champ Dr
Fager 2 out of 4. Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand 3 times. Billy
Kelly beat Triple Crown winner Sir Barton 8 of 12. Formal Gold beat
HOF HOY champ Skip Away 4 out of 6. HOF champ Majestic Prince beat HOF
HOY champ Arts and Letters 2 out of 3. Pretense beat HOF champ Native
Diver 5 times. Clem beat HOF HOY champ Round Table 3 times. Summer
Squall beat Champion Unbridled 4 out of 6. Heritageofgold beat HOF
champ Silverbulletday 3 out of 3 times. Jewel Princess beat HOF
champion Serenas Song in 3 of 3 races. Crystal Water
beat HOF champ Ancient Title 4 times. Akureyri beat Champ Pleasant
Colony 3 out of 4. Who is better? That is totally subjective.
There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior
career, superior and better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes
wins, wins against older horses and open company, running times, avg
running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads,
records set, still standing records, weights carried and weights
conceded, stakes wins and stakes wins vs. open company/older
horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or
campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority and dominance,
injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %s, trips,
amount of races run, post positions, campaign and career earnings with
and without bonuses, races with drugs and medications allowed/used,
races with no drugs and medications allowed/used, etc etc and many
many more. But even after those factors are factored in, who was better
is still totally subjective.
Easy Goer and SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9
Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing
versatility on all tracks and many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6
Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile
indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also
defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a
good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses
only two times at ages three and four. Many other
factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of
career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins -
14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times
at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8
million to about $ 3. 8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to
64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i)
wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three and four - 6 to 2 ;
j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and
12f, SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more
than 2 and a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never
was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career
; other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances
won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running
times, avg running times at all distances, amount of races with no drugs
and medications, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance and
superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin,
weights carried, weight concessions, etc. They were both greats no
doubt, but IMO other than SSs slim edge in their head to head races,
Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors
and categories. Both greats, but In my
opinion Easy Goer was a better horse than SS, and had a superior body of
work and career than SS. But of course, once again, better in any way
is still totally subjective.
Indeed, very true.
Totally expected from Pat ron franklin-esque Day. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, inside, outside, back inside, back outside. Yes, better is definitely subjective. Having acknowledged that: Take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat Day, a.k.a Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Where was Woody Stephens, Allen Jerkens, Cordero, Bailey, Pincay, Stevens? Easy Goer wins the Preakness and Classic had any of these been his trainer and jockey. The only way Citation wins a race was if Noor hadn't been in it. The only way Kelso wins a race was if Beau Purple hadn't been in it. The only way Dr. Fager wins a race was if Damascus hadn't been in it. The only way Forego wins a race was if Big Spruce hadn't been in it.
Two of the all time greats, no matter how badly mistimed Day's ride was aboard Easy Goer, who was going double there.
No. A rider and their rides are tangible, noticeable, observable, visible, real, substantial and recognizable.
Oh wow. I would have loved to have been there. I was at the 89 Super Derby in Louisiana. Both were scheduled to run there, but Easy Goer scratched. Got to see Sunday Silence though. Magnificent horse.
Easy Goer made a Tremendous & Miraculous run to make up & gobble up that much ground & shoot by horses who were not tiring,stopping or slowing down at all.
During 1989 New York was the "Only" State in the Entire Country who did not Allow Race day Drugs...The Vet for Sunday Silence was not Allowed anywhere Near his Horse on This day...And we all Know What happened in That Race...He was absolutely "Trounced" by his Rival...That was also on June 10th and Easy Goers "5th" Race Since April 8th and he Still Crushed at 12 Furlongs
Easy Goer was one of the rare greats who combined blistering record speed at a mile and at shorter distances, with a thoroughly superb and amazing stamina to run the second fastest Belmont of all time, and was thoroughly superb and amazing at every distance of ground in between. Remember those baby hands and kid gloves riding that Drape accurately stated in his book.
The Classic Distance for the "WHOLE WORLD" is 1 1/2m, 12f, a mile & a half. The Classic Distance & Test of a Champion for the Whole World is STILL 12f, 1 1/2miles. In order to win the American Triple Crown, the ultimate Test of a Triple Crown Champion is the Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2m. The Belmont Stakes will always be at 12f. The Classic Distance for the "WHOLE WORLD" is 1 1/2m, 12f, a mile & a half. The Classic Distance & Test of a Champion for the Whole World is STILL 12f, 1 1/2miles: G1 Arc de Triomphe, G1 English Derby (Epsom Darby), G1 Irish Derby, G1 Japan Cup, G1 King George, G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, G1 Breeders Cup Turf, G1 Japanese Derby, G1 English Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks, G1 Japanese Oaks, G1 Coronation Cup, G1 British Champions, G1 Yorkshire Oaks, G1 Hong Kong Vase, G1 Hong Kong Champions Cup, G1 Grand Prix de St Cloud, G1 Grand Prix de Paris, G1 Prix Vermeille, G1 Gran Premio Internacional (ARG), G1 Argentine Derby on dirt, G1 Peruvian Derby on dirt, G1 Uruguayan Derby on dirt, G1 Brazilian Derby, G1 Brazilian Oaks, G1 Chilean Derby, G1 South African Derby, G1 South African Oaks, G1 Grande Prêmio Derby (BRZ), & an enormous amount of others. There are an enormous amount of worldwide Triple Crown races at the world's classic distance of 12f, 1 1/2m: G1 Belmont Stakes, G1 English Derby (GB), G1 Irish Derby (IRE) , G1 Japanese Derby (JPN), G1 Australian Derby (AUS), G1 Caulfield Cup (Australia), G1 German Derby (GER), G1 Grand Prix (France), G1 English Oaks (GB), G1 Irish Oaks (IRE), G1 Japanese Oaks (JPN), G1 Prix Vermeille (France), G1 Argentine Derby (Argentina) on dirt, G1 Peruvian Derby (Peru) on dirt, G1 Hong Kong Champions Cup (Hong Kong), G1 Brazilian Derby (Brazil), G1 Brazilian Oaks (BRZ), G1 Chilean Derby (Chile), G1 Uruguayan Derby (Uruguay) on dirt, G1 South African Derby, G1 South African Oaks, G1 Breeders Stakes (Canada), & many more. Even in North America, races at 1 1/2m or distances farther than 1 1/4m are still prominent tests of champions - Belmont Stakes, Breeders' Cup Turf, Turf Classic, Sword Dancer, Man o' War, Brooklyn, etc. In fact, in North America there are 24 Graded Stakes races in NA at 1 1/2m; there are 44 Graded stakes races in NA at distances longer than 1 1/4m, there are 44 Graded Stakes races in NA at distances of 1 1/2m, 1 3/8m, etc. There are only 8 Graded Stakes in NA at 1 3/16m. There are 27 Graded Stakes in NA at 1 1/4m. There are 35 Graded Stakes races in NA at distances of 1 3/16m or 1 1/4m.
As far as Easy Goer is concerned, Easy Goer won G1 races at 7f, 1 mile, 1 1/8m, 1 1/4m & 1 1/2m. Easy Goer 14 wins drug-free without any drugs, SS 0 wins drug-free without any drugs. Easy Goer 14, ss 0; EG 1, ss 0. Easy Goer won G1 races at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f drug-free with much less time & rest between races & ran many more races at more fluctuating, different distances in faster times with far superior speed figures & performance ratings; while the drug-reliant ss only won G1 races at 9f to 10f with his performance enhancing drugs (Clenbuterol, Lasix [scientifically proven to give a 9 length performance enhancement], Etorphine, Sublimaze, etc) & much more time & rest between races & ran far less races. In the drug-free EG's few very slim losses by the narrowest of margins to the drug-reliant ss, ss needed all of his performance enhancing drugs administered to him & still only beat him by the slimmest of margins. The very slight 3-1 edge (attained by ss by the slimmest of margins with performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine) by the narrowest of margins means as much or as little as Noor 4, Citation 1; Beau Purple 3, Kelso 1; Gallant Man 3, Round Table 0; Iron Liege 2, Round Table 1; Sword Dancer 2, Round Table 0; Alsab 2, Whirlaway 1; Big Spruce 2, Forego 1; Wajima 2, Forego 1; Cabrini Green 4, John Henry 0; Darby Creek Road 3, John Henry 0; Gallant Bloom 4, Shuvee 1; Damascus 2, Dr Fager 2; Akureyri 3, Pleasant Colony 1; Formal Gold 4, Skip Away 2; Billy Kelly 8, Sir Barton 4; Summer Squall 4, Unbridled 2; Bayern 2, California Chrome 1; Star of Cozzene 3, Kotashaan 1; & an endless amount of others. In the Test of the Champion drug-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed ss; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top. Easy Goer ran drug-free in the only state in the entire country at the time which banned all drugs, which banned all performance enhancing drugs; while the drug-reliant & illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant ss got exposed badly & romped when he was forced to run drug-free with no-drugs at all. The Litmus Test of a Champion is running & winning drug-free without any performance enhancing drugs; & during that era New York was the only state in the entire country that banned all drugs. Plus, as importantly, NY banned the illegal criminal vet of ss Alex Harthill [arrested an endless amount of times for illegally drugging an endless amount of horses]. During that era, it was a huge credit to NY [& the rest of the whole world] that the endless amount of their championship G1 races stood as gigantic obstacles to drug-reliant horses like ss; & these horses, like ss & many others, got exposed badly when they were forced to run drug-free with no-drugs at all. ONLY no-drugs races were/are true championship races. Only no-drugs races could/can be called championship races. Only No-drugs races kept/keep the outcomes crystal clear. No-drugs races are the only true tests of champions. That is integrity, honesty, fair play & complete fairness for all. The end.
Easy Goer and Sunday Silence combine race records- 34 Starts: 23 wins , 10 placing( 4 to each other, 1 third. #Enough Said #Champs#Cracks
Day blew it. As great a rider as he was, he blew it a lot to. I think back to the 1988 KY Derby. He waited way too long to make his move with Forty Niner. Yes, he had to work to save him breaking from the 17 gate, but it was only a neck and the bottom line was that he moved too late.
The Bloodhorse: "Easy Goer MET and FULFILLED those dreams and expectations embodied in his powerful frame and authored an unforgettable Hall of Fame champions career, and will always be mentioned in the same breath with the GREATEST of ALL TIME."
This Heads up Record Between both Horses was so Close that it came down to this "1" race by a "Neck" at the wire from being Tied at 2-2...And 1 Nose & Neck short of being 3 to 1 in Easy Goers favor...SS won 3 out of 4 but "3 of 4" Just "Sounds" Much better than the record actually was...if you Know the History of these 2 Horses Matches you will know just how "Close" the Heads up record really was...Some fans see that SS won "3 of 4" and are not even aware of any of the Circumstances ...Easy Goer Should have Won this race and Horse of the Year
Except for one race Easy Goer was unable to get past Sunday Silence.So that head is like a mile.
Jeff Snell Except with raceday performance enhancing drugs (and their significant advantages; but banned in the rest of the world and in NY during that era) like Clenbuterol, Sublimaze and Banamine, and crooked cheater doper vet Alex Harthill (arrested an endless amount of times for illegal doping & did more cheating with drugs to win horse races than any vet in history; but banned in NY, Illinois, NJ, Penn, Del, WVa, Va, Mass, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Canada, etc) the drug dependent sunday silence was unable to even come close to the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer. So those 8 lengths were like 20 miles for the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer; and the nose and neck were like 10 miles for the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer. Even with the raceday performance enhancing drugs (and their significant advantages; but banned in the rest of the world and in NY during that era) and crooked cheater doper vet Alex Harthill (arrested an endless amount of times for illegal doping & did more cheating with drugs to win horse races than any vet in history; but banned in NY, Illinois, NJ, Penn, Del, WVa, Va, Mass, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Canada, etc) the drug dependent sunday silence barely beat the Clean Drug Free Easy Goer by the slimmest of margins in a couple of races. The drug-dependent and crooked cheater doper vet dependent sunday silence's 3-1 was the same as Beau Purple's 3-1 over Kelso, or Noor's 4-1 over Citation, or Akureyri's 3-1 over Pleasant Colony, or Big Spruces 2-1 over Forego, or Formal Gold's 4-2 over Skip Away, or Summer Squall's 4-2 over Unbridled, or Gallant Bloom's 4-1 over Shuvee, etc., and an infinite amount of others.
In hindsight SS has turned out to be an all time great both in his racing career and as a sire. His accomplishments are clearly defined. He beat EG a horse touted as the greatest ever 3 out of 4 times.
Hes sired a triple crown winner and was the grandsire of two more triple crown winners. His progeny ranks among cape cross, urban sea, galileo, montjeu for the best in the last generation.
Well done for a horse that was never suppose to amount to much.
Who is finer or greater? That is nonobjective and intuitive. They were both extraordinary Thoroughbreds. Though a small sample, they were mere inches apart from a even, level 2 to 2 when opposing one another in direct competition. Easy Goer did accomplish & achieve more in his career resu'me'.
Ariel Dovid What is with this "inches" from being 2 to 2 nonsense? Yes, Easy Goer lost the Preakness by a nose. But the only reason Easy Goer was within a nose was because he checked Sunday Silence on the far turn, probably costing him a couple of lengths. Sunday Silence was the far better horse on Preakness day.
Aaron Mccurrie A nose is inches. No excuses. Far better? That is nonsense and nonobjective. Try to be as unbiased as you can. I try and usually succeed at being as unbiased as I can. You can make legitimate cases that Easy Goer was "far better" also in some of these races. I wouldn't, but I'm just saying. The "only reason" what? You mean getting steadied or checked automatically means that it cost horses a certain amount of lengths in both winning and losing? We don't know that at all. I suppose, in the Derby, Easy Goer getting pinballed sideways, checked and totally cut off in a melee caused by Northern Wolf, cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know. Easy Goer also had his path taken away from him in the stretch by Dansel while having to change course. Did it cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know. As for your Preakness claims, Watch the head on footage of the Preakness on the 1989 ABC Full Belmont Stakes video here on this website at about the 10:45 to 12:00 minute mark. Easy Goer hopped at the break and broke in the air costing him a few lengths. Did it cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know? Down the back-side, Valenzuela and Sunday Silence forced Easy Goer out very wide to the middle of the track, which then forced Easy Goer and Day to make a big, early move. Did it cost him a few lengths and the win? Not necessarily, we don't know. Day and the horse legally passed him without cutting him off at all, but I think he steadied and idled because Houston came out a bit, and he didn't have enough horse at the time to stay with Easy Goer who was running at sprint speed. Did it cost him a few lengths? Not necessarily, we don't know. Regardless of that, then Valenzuela pinned him in extremely tight on the rail while they were brushing. Did being pinned and trapped on the rail being brushed cost him? We don't know, maybe. Did the brushing cost both horses? Not necessarily, we don't know, maybe. Day turned Easy Goer's head with the lead about 85 yards from the line. Did it cost him? Not necessarily, maybe, we don't know. You get my points.
Ah, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer what a great rivalry. I was for Sunday Silence in all the races but Goer was such a great horse I loved him as well. I really got serious about horse racing because of these two but after a few years of not really have another that won me like these two, I started to slip back to a more casual fan.
As many racing experts from all over the country stated, but was stated so correctly by Paul Moran of ESPN, "Easy Goer was the better and more extraordinarily talented horse, but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck because Pat Day rode him horribly, rode him like the exposed end of a live wire." So true and correct.
In my opinion, regardless if Pat Day moved very belatedly, very tardily, or too late, or moved very precipitately,rashly or early, or moved at the proper moment, his major wrongdoings and defects were, he would characteristically ride hesitantly and indecisively. Day would characteristically make a move, then Back off and wait when he didn't have to wait, make a move, then back off and wait again when he didn't have to wait. This would either permit and enable other horses back in the race, and-or permit and enable other horses to get away.
Both great horses, and a thrilling fantastic race from both horses. Something I've
always liked about Easy Goer, was his smooth and easy power, and stamina. If
this race was 1.5 miles like the Belmont, Easy Goer wins it quite easy, as you can
see him toward the end of this race, closing in on Sunday's Silence, but ran out
of real estate. Also Goer's jockey holds him back too long, before making a move.
This has cost Easy Goer some wins in my opinion. I'm a Seattle Slew, and Easy
Goer fan, and you can't help but admire the sure greatness of Secretariat.
Sunday Silence, my favorite racehorse. He and Easy Goer had the best duels in thoroughbred history.
The intangibles are PROVEN on the racetrack. Thank God for that!!!
You people are just amazing!!!!! 3 of 4 shows the score!!!!!
Jockey Pat Day badly misrode EG in this race waiting too long to make his move.
@G B not when EG is being restrained by a clueless idiot jockey no of course not.
What a fantastic horse race that was I remember it like it was yesterday Tom Durkin on the call........ Sunday silence
At any rate, like many of the racing experts stated from all regions of the country, and even trainers like Wayne Lukas and Woody Stephens stated it, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of espn, "Easy Goer was the better and more outstanding,extraordinary and remarkable horse, but was defeated by a whisker & desperate neck in two races because Pat choker Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire, rode him horribly." So true and correct, I agree.
ERNIE! Your own words will live FOREVER and ever! Ernie says, "HALL of FAME champion EASY GOER was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, a RARE true all time great, fastest three year old mile of all-time in 1:32, second fastest Belmont of all time, many of the most historic races won by many Hall of Fame horses on or near track records. He deserved better in that supreme campaign he was put through." Ernie's words will live forever and ever.
Who was better in any way is totally subjective. There was the Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer clobbered him. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat.
There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
DELMARCLUB1 Yeah Easy Goer did clobbered Sunday Silence in ONE race " on his home track" But in
head to head match up Sunday Silence clobbered Easy Goer 3 out of 4 times so in the end.. who is the one that really got clobbered in head to head match up.
Travis West, cominatcha, smile wiper, gamebred, wiley, westbound, etc etc etc etc etc. You keep saying in each comment on each thread, you are done. Clobbered in head to head matchups? That's like saying Beau Purple clobbered Kelso in their head to head matchups, as Beau Purple was 3-1 against Kelso. That's like saying Noor clobbered Citation in their head to head matchups, as Noor was 4-1 against Citation. That's like saying Big Spruce clobbered Forego in their head to head matchups, as Big Spruce was 2-1 against Forego. That's like saying Cabrini Green clobbered John Henry in their head to head matchups, as Cabrini Green was 4-0 against John Henry. That's like saying Darby Creek Road clobbered John Henry in their head to head matchups, as Darby Creek Road was 3-0 against John Henry. Numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE TINY number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). Hall of Fame champ Easy Goer never had to bring his track with him - EG won on mile tracks, 1 1/8m tracks, and 1 1/2m tracks. SS did not. SS lost 3 of 5 on 1 1/8m sized tracks (LOSING record at his home track losing 3 races there), and SS lost 4 of 6 on 1 1/8m or larger tracks. EG won G1 races at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and 12f all without any drugs running many more races with much less rest between races; SS ONLY won G1 races at 9f to 10f with drugs running much less races with much more rest between races; that's a huge difference in versatility. That's also like saying that Sunday Silence never won when racing without his drugs. That's also like saying that SS never won on larger circumferenced tracks (lost 4 of 6) of a 1 1/8 miles or larger. That's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him with his drugs; that's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him on smaller circumferenced tracks because ss's record on 1 1/8 miles or larger circumferenced tracks (LOST 4 of 6, and LOST 3 times at his larger circumferenced Hollywood Park track) was similar to EG's record on smaller circumferenced tracks.
Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes (the classic distance for the whole world) where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs & medications. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
So fitting; to a tee. "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or
Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot
trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat wait all Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country and Menifee. 3) "Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. 4) "Day's tentativeness
and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!”
Chris Mccarron probably could not believe Easy Goer was 10 lengths behind him rounding the far turn
@@joechrow8341 it took a double take look, to find him..
Easy Goer & SS both turned out to be all time greats with great accomplishments. Many many greats were behind or tied on the head to head scoreboard - Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Skip Away, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Sir Barton among many others were behind or tied in head to heads. Easy Goer was much more flashy & dominant, while SS was more workmanlike. EG died young with only a few crops of foals sired, & still amazingly was/has been influential with numerous G1 winning offspring and descendants. SS & Northern Taste certainly have been the best sires that Japan has had. Who was better though? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc and many many more. They were both great horses. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective.
They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads with other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head
to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11) Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races. 15) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4
races, etc etc. The point is who was better in any way is subjective.
+Travis West All the five year old troll Travis Bickle can do is 'laugh his butt off' and troll and then delete hundreds of his comments, state numerous false bs and false accusations, etc.
+DELMARCLUB1 I'm no expert but I do always ail a little when I think of Dr Fager and Damascus. it always took two horses to beat Dr Fager if you know what I mean
+DELMARCLUB1 That's why for me the top 5 horses of all time are (in order): Secretariat, Phar Lap, Sea Bird II, Man O War and Ribot as no single rival consistently ever got their measure (at least not after PL was gelded).
It's too numerous to count, and I can add another one which I and most others never mention: Hall of Fame champion Gallant Bloom beat HOF champ Shuvee in 4 of 5 races head to head, yet BH ranked GB nine spots lower than Shuvee. Not that BH is any authority, but just a note on that. There are numerous examples besides Affirmed, Secretariat, Easy Goer etc. A) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head; B) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head; C) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head; D) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head; E) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races; F) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races; G) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races; H) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races; I) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races; J) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races; K) Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races; L) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times; m) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head; N) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races; O ) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 aces, etc etc.
Great analysis, but I beg to differ on your conclusion. The point is that there is *not much difference between most top horses*, bar a few exceptions at the very end of the normal distribution curve. And depending on track, conditions, distance, weight then it would be hard to predict the outcome if let's say Kelso v. Mill Reef. But there are a few exceptions. Dr Fager is one - he only lost twice to Damascus because the latter had a rabbit in the race a tactic no longer legal, this does not tell me Damascus is the faster racehorse.
Secretariat, Ribot, Sea Bird II, Man O War who aside from winning sprints and staying races, either did not lose or if they lost there were sound racing luck reasons.
Pat Day's quintessential riding- take off full of run, then ease up, then take in hand, then grabbed a hold, then geared down, no hand coaxing, no cross reining, no reins shaken, start stop, confusing, commit then uncommit, etc.
Numerous greats were behind or tied on the head to head, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others; and who's better in any way is totally subjective period. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
The two best horses I have seen - Easy Goer and Sunday Silence.
All these years later it's still exciting
Some horses find their best when facing the best. Sunday Silence was definately one of those horses. Tiznow was another I could think of.
What's truly amazing about Sunday Silence is how good of a sire he is. His progeny will live on forever and likely to be dominant on turf with Gentildonna, Ofevere, Goldship, etc all set to take on the Arc this year...
Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela did outride Pat ron
franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop start Day. So did
McCarron for that matter. So did Pincay, Cordero, Stevens, Bailey etc.
However, it was Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela who
actually was the one "trying to screw Pat ron franklin-esque Day the
whole way around" by floating him very wide [8 or 9 wide] towards the
barns on the back-side, and by trapping him and knocking him in very
tight to the rail afterwards on the turn [so bad that Houston had to
check] and thru the stretch. The video of the entire backstretch run
into the turn is here on TH-cam, on the 1989 Belmont stakes - Easy
Goer: Full ABC Broadcast. At the 11 minute mark of this 89 Belmont
video, you can watch the entire back-side head on footage of the
Preakness. It doesn't show Pat ron franklin-esque Day shutting off or
cutting off Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela. Valenzuela
preposterously tried to turn it around on Day. Interesting also to note
that Silence's owner Arthur Hancock assumed, like most others, that Pat
Day did. However, on the 'Arthur Hancock on Sunday Silence' video
uploaded here on youtube by Blood-Horse, Hancock even admits he didn't
by saying at the 8:50 point of the video, "Easy Goer swept past Sunday Silence, and it looked to me like he might have shut him off. Silence dropped back a length or
two, and I said to my wife that Easy Goer just shut us off. That's what
I thought looking through my binoculars. But he didn't, he did not, he
was far enough out there." Pat suspended over 20 times for coke
Valenzuela was quoted in the Blood-Horse magazine saying, "I COULD HAVE
gone with Easy Goer and sat IN BETWEEN him and Houston. There was room,"
Valenzuela said OF THE MOMENT AT THE FAR TURN when Easy Goer FLEW BY
HIM. "BUT Easy Goer moved up on the outside of me EXTREMELY QUICK and
GOT THE ADVANTAGE over us. I didn't think Easy Goer was going to make
that big of a move that soon."
Valenzuela's credibility, however, is severely lacking. Pat suspended
over 20 times for coke Valenzuela doesn't just lose an immense amount of
credibility because he was and is a chronic life-long cocaine addict.
He loses just as much -- if not more -- of an immense amount of
credibility due to many other reasons, including numerous bizarre and
erratic statements that came out of his mouth, and his devious
gamesmanship and race-riding shenanigans etc. Valenzuela, however,
could ride with the best of them, and who knows what his career would
have been had he not lost the majority of it to an endless amount of
cocaine suspensions and being banned.
McGaughey and Day were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most
conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for
speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed the horse possessed.
Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive,
conservative, start-stop rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin
esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky
Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee,
Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin
esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at
the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to
terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how
and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, inside,
outside, back inside, back outside. Yes, better is definitely subjective. Having acknowledged that: Take nothing away from sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse IMO; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat Day, a.k.a Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than the most conservative anti-speed trainer Claude Shug
McGaughey. Where was Woody Stephens, Allen Jerkens, Cordero, Bailey,
Pincay, Stevens, Romero, Santos? Easy Goer wins the Preakness and
Classic had any of these been his trainer and jockey IMO.
How many times was Pat Day busted for blow? That number is not zero sir.
" Easy Goer met and fulfilled those dreams and expectations embodied in his powerful frame and authored an unforgettable Hall of Fame championship career, and will always be mentioned in the same breath with the GREATEST of ALL TIME. Easy Goer and Sunday Silence were inches apart but miles ahead of their contemporaries. In the absence of either, each probably would have been a dominant Triple Crown winner with only history as a benchmark. Instead, each proved each others greatness."
Well said
ERNIE!Your own words will live forever and ever! Ernie says ,"Hall of Fame eclipse champion Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME great, one of the RARE greats that come along ONCE in a lifetime. Record three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2,second fastest Belmont of all time. He deserved better(by his jockey's awful riding and his trainer) in that supremely historic campaign he was put through." Your words will live forever.
Jay Hovdey stated it& I agree:"Without SS,Easy Goer would be thought of and up there the Top 5 all time best horses. Easy Goer would have won the Whitney,Travers,Woodward,Jockey Club Gold Cup,Triple Crown,Breeders Cup Classic,Suburban,Champagne,Gotham,Wood Memorial,etc" & many of these by big margins & extremely speedy clockings. "Without EG, SS(would have won the TC,BCC,etc) did not have the overall career or overall campaign as EG." Both clearly great. Inches apart but far ahead of their peers
This was a trainer win SS ducked every race from the Belmont to the BC Classic ! It’s that simple.
Ducked the Saratoga and Belmont meet Charlie was no fool he had a speed horse on a track rated for speed.
Kind of reminds me of the Turkoman loss in the BC classic.....props to trainers who run and don’t hide from other horses. Money over fans sucks!
Should have had Cordero up day costs him
Better horse. Margins. Rides. Charts on rides. Scores. Scoreboards. The official margin in this race was a neck. Clearly, it was a very rapidly diminishing neck, as Easy Goer zoomed by at the wire. The official DRF chart notes SS won "driving." McCarron was told not to hit the horse by his trainer due to his disdain for being whipped (as well as weaving tendencies), but what did he do for it to be "driving" in this race? He was repeatedly & continuously asking him ("driving") to run by throwing crosses (flicking & swooping with the reins, cross reining), and poking him (as McCarron said in the Blood Horse Nov. 11, 1989 article) on his shoulder, and showing him the whip with his left hand. Easy Goer was under a hand ride the last furlong of the Belmont, while widening his margin to win by 8 lengths. The chart noted EG won "ridden out" in the Belmont. Both great horses but who was better. The 'better horse'? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, etc etc and many many more. And even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more you can say other than head to heads with other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11)Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races. 15) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 races, etc etc. The point also is who was better is subjective.
Sorry 3 out of 4 head to head. Sunday Silence better horse..period.
Fbanz96 Sorry, numerous greats were behind or tied on the head to head period, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others; and who's better in any way is totally subjective period. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
@@Fbanz96 quite agree with you. E.g. have more fans and they always find a long story to tell you why he is better than ss. I think ss was better and no one can tell me. Other wise. 3 out of 4. Simple
Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There are an endless amount of all time greats who were behind or tied in head to head records, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Shuvee, John Henry, Pleasant Colony, Serena's Song,
Silverbulletday, Swaps, Nashua, Sir Barton, Skip Away and many others. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era
that banned all drugs. Balanced against that are two wins by SS against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of lesst han two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge vs EG with 3 wins coming in very close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile
one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest,
fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday
Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including
Houston, Prized, Criminal Type & Cro Lover. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the
records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you
were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG
in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4
by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown
winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; John Henry got beat 4 out of 4 by Cabrini Green; John Henry got beat 3 out of 3 by Darby Creek Road; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; &
there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races; Losing record on his home track losing 3 races) on bigger tracks
with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks,
size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot
be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in
can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth
looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running
times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior
campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career
earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9
Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor
Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e)
career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1
stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was
defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records,
running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO
Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and dad a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more other than head to heads.
And it was that combination that I previously stated IMO. McGaughey campaigned Easy Goer(after having run in all three triple crown races) like a Citation,Damascus,Buckpasser, forgetting that only one race after the triple crown mattered(Classic).But Pat Day's horrible,passive,deliberate riding hurt immensely also. I think reading Joe Drape's book "Race for the Triple Crown" is very relevant and important, and how there is a big section on Day's horrible,passive,deliberate riding.
"Better" in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses. Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. There was also the Belmont where Easy Goer clobbered him. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the mile one full second faster than Secretariat. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont's. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
Head to heads, scoreboards etc. Who was better? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc and many many more. They were both great horses. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective.
They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads with other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3 races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9) Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10) Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11)Star of Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6 races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday in 3 of 3 races. 15) Akureyri beat champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 races, etc etc. The point is who was better in any way is subjectiv
One of the great racing rivalries.
Pretty simple to see, Sunday Silence could always open up on EG around the turns.....face reality...he beat him 3 out of 4 times..
Easy Goer, IMO, was the greatest horse since Spectacular Bid, Slew and Secretariat. Easy Goer showed the most ability and talent since these greats, IMO. Easy Goer did indeed have the better career, and they were a bare, scant nostril away from being two to two versus each other.
easy goer would never have passed affirmed with pincay up. alydar was better than easy goer but had the misfortune of being in the same crop as affirmed. their duel in the belmont neck and neck was jaipur and ridden, but over a longer distance. i loved easy goer, buy pat day cost him many races. sunday silence was a great racehorse, but could have been bought at auction, when twice the minimum on him was not met. secretariat, alydar, and easy goer would never have been up for sale, as they came from thoroughbred royalty.
Can't agree, about Alydar being better. When, did he beat older top handicappers three times at varying classic distances? Easy Goer stands alone, in several regards. And, he did it all without Lasix.
calumet was losing money and hustled alydar to then breeding shed at 250,
000 dollars per foal. they overbooked and caused alydar's early demise.
affirmed beat older horses, and a tremendous 3 year-old in spectacular bid.
listen, i loved easy goer but he couldn't beat sunday silence but once and
wasn't even champion three year-old despite being the champion 2 year old.
he was hurt drastically by having the brain dead pat day letting the pack
get away from him and then getting easy goer pinned on the rail with no
place to move. easy goer showed who he was in the belmont but in my opinion
wasn't as good as alydar, who also had problems getting to the front.
Who was better? Who would people take? Better is subjective, & true in the eyes of the beholder. In 5 big, important stakes races, Noor bested Citation in 4 of the 5. In 4 big, important races, Beau Purple bested Kelso in 3 of the 4. In 3 big, important stakes races, Big Spruce bested Forego in 2 of the 3. In 3 other big, important stakes races, Wajima bested Forego in 2 of the 3. In 3 big, important stakes races, Interco bested John Henry in 2 of the 3. In 3 other big, important stakes races, Mehmet bested John Henry in 2 of the 3. Cabrini Green also bested John Henry 4 times. Crystal Water bested Ancient Title in 4 big, important stakes races. In 4 big, important stakes races, Damascus bested Dr Fager in 2 of the 4 races. Cutlass Reality bested Ferdinand in 3 big, important stakes races. In 12 big, important stakes races, Billy Kelly bested Hall of Fame Triple Crown champion Sir Barton in 8 of the 12. Pretense bested Native Diver in 5 big, important stakes races. In 6 big, important stakes races, Formal Gold bested Skip Away in 4 of the 6. In 4 big, important stakes races, Akureyri bested Pleasant Colony in 3 of the 4. Who people would take & who was better is subjective.
It wasn't the Triple Crown when Sir Barton won it.
Pat Day said, ""It ran through my mind that I might lose the mount on Easy Goer after the Preakness. But then I shared some thoughts--I won't tell you what--with Shug and I felt better. I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a
better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness was absolutely due to a rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best
in the Classic."
Shug McGaughey said, "I asked Day to ride Easy Goer for a few reasons, even though my No. 1 and No. 2 riders at the time were Angel Cordero and Randy Romero. One reason was, despite Easy Goer's superior breeding, his GI winning full sister Cadillacing who I also trained, was more of a one-run late-running sprinter. I had two aggressive jockeys ride her, both Randy Romero and Angel Cordero. Cordero, who was her main rider, was given proper instructions and knew her well. Cordero also rode their mother, champion Relaxing, who was trained by Penna. I'm going along
with Easy Goer thinking he may only be a one-run late-running sprinter like his full sister Cadillacing. It turned out Easy Goer could run every distance brilliantly and do it in a variety of ways, and he had many runs in him. But I originally thought Day would be more patient on him than Cordero or Romero. I thought Cordero or Romero would be too aggressive of a rider on him. That's one reason why I chose Day." McGaughey, later after the Preakness, is quoted as saying, "I just want Day to be aggressive and, if it comes down to a mistake deciding the race, force the other rider into the mistake. I can't say I didn't consider changing riders after the Preakness. I also can't say I didn't consider a change in the future. Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let
him back in the race."
McGaughey also said, "The other reason I chose Day to ride Easy Goer was because Pat Day helped him by not crucifying him in his races and he brought me back some horse. He had soundness problems, but we stayed on top of it. Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let him back in the race. But in the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Classic, maybe when Pat Day grabbed him after the start, the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Pat was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as he had done before, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence. I think anybody would say that if those two ran against each other ten times, each would probably win five."
NO ANNOUNCER can compare to the FABULOUS VOICE of Phil Georgeffe who called the Arlingotn Millions and all CHicago races for decades. He was the best announcer. Can make a maiden $5k claimer sound like a death match...Awesome
You sure about that? Listen to Phil Georgeffe, and his voice, and listen to Tom Durkin's voice here. Tom Durkin also called a lot of big horse races here. Example: This race, the 2012 Travers, The 1992 Breeders Cup Classic, The 2007 Belmont Stakes, The 2002 Test Stakes, The 1995 Breeders Cup Classic, The 2001 Breeders Cup, The 2009 Woodward Stakes with Rachel Alexandra The Great. You cant tell me that Phil Georgeffe's voice was better than the voice of Tom Durkin's.
One of the best, but that year's Preakness was a pretty good race too.
ELI MXP Been watching horse racing since I was a kid in the 80s. The 1989 Preakness still is the best race I've ever seen. Much better race than this one.
Head to head records in the books? Sure, there head to head records are in the
books, much like many many other greats head to head records are in the books. Many many greats were behind or tied on the head to head scoreboard - Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Skip Away, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, Round Table, Ancient Title, John Henry, Shuvee, Sir Barton among many others were behind or tied in head to heads. Who was better though? Better, like beauty is subjective and true in the eyes of the beholder. There are numerous factors, including but not
limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances and at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, rider errors, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc and many many more. They were both great horses. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective.
They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a
superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS
held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness
win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads with
other examples being: 1) Noor beat HOF champ Citation in 4 of 5 races
head to head. 2) Beau Purple beat HOF champ Kelso in 3 of 4 races head
to head. 3) Big Spruce & Wajima beat HOF champ Forego in 2 of 3
races head to head. 4) Damascus beat Dr Fager in 2 of 4 races head to
head. Swaps and Nashua were 1 to 1 head to head. 5) Mehmet & Interco
beat John Henry in 2 of 3 races. 6) Darby Creek Road also beat HOF
champ John Henry in 3 of 3 races. 7) Cabrini Green also beat John Henry
in 4 of 4 races. 8) Cutlass Reality beat HOY Ferdinand in 3 races. 9)
Billy Kelly beat Triple Crown champ Sir Barton in 8 of 12 races. 10)
Formal Gold beat HOF champ Skip Away in 4 of 6 races. 11) Star of
Cozzene beat HOY Kotashaan in 3 of 4 races. 12) Pretense beat HOF champ
Native Diver 5 times. 13) Summer Squall beat champion Unbridled in 4 of 6
races head to head. 14) Heritageofgold beat HOF champ Silverbulletday
in 3 of 3 races. 15) Clem beat HOF champion Round Table 3 times. 16)
Crystal Water beat HOF champion Ancient Title 4 times. 17) Akureyri beat
champion Pleasant Colony in 3 of 4 races. 18) Gallant Bloom beat Shuvee
in 4 of 5 races, etc etc. The point is who was better in any way is
subjective.
Not sure why this race is called the race of the Decade. If any race between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer was the race of the decade, it would have to be the Preakness. That Preakness was the greatest horse race I ever saw live.
Absolutely. It was so beautifully poetic, too. The Preakness was on ESPN’s top 10 sports moments of the decade. Not the BCC.
ERNIE, YOUR own words will live FOREVER! He says, "Easy Goer was a TRUE ALL TIME GREAT, fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont of all time, many of the most historic races won by many Hall of Fame horses on or near track records. He deserved better in that phenomenal campaign he was put through." Your words will live forever in infamy
Easy Goer's blazing front-running speed and brilliant tactical speed were perfectly fine in numerous races going to the lead from the start, and staying up very close to the leaders throughout - Champagne, Suburban, Wood Memorial, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Gotham, Belmont, Preakness, Travers, Whitney, 6.5f near record, mile record, near records in many races, etc. The Los Angeles Times quotes, no less : "If the great and truly special Easy Goer were only an ordinary horse, or even just a very good one, he would have probably lost both the 1989 Whitney and Woodward (when SS didn't show up and was resting for half of the year). Plenty were also howling about Day's rides in both the Whitney and Woodward. Hopelessly trapped and boxed in almost the entire races, then had to check on the far turns of both races. Boxed in most of the way, and checked hard and stopped twice in the Woodward. Their was severe and justified criticism of Day's riding. Day stopped and started and stopped and started with many of his mounts. Easy Goer endured yet more frustratingly tentative rides by rider Pat Day -- which is his Achilles heel. Pat Day played a bigger part in beating Easy Goer than Sunday Silence did. He over thought the mount instead of letting Easy Goer run his race. Easy Goer could run forever and run it fast! Day rode the horse incredibly inconsistent and immensely tentative. Poor Easy Goer never knew when Day was serious about when to run or not. A lemming could have ridden Easy Goer better." More quotes: 1) "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country, Menifee and numerous others. 3) "No jockey in the country took more abuse than Day. Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. Day could outwait the Jewish Prophet Job." 4) "Day's tentativeness and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!" 6) ”Because Day often arrived at the wire too late, he was given unflattering nicknames-Pat Wait All Day and Pat delay Day. Many critics described Day's riding as exasperating, and many still grind their teeth remembering many of his rides aboard different horses. Day's patience as a rider was at times demoralizing for owners, trainers, fans and bettors. As Pat Forde, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, penned in 1995, “He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days.” Day's riding style, as Barry Irwin wrote in 2016, "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage."
Day also said, "It was a terrible ride and totally my fault. I HAD MORE HORSE THAN I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH. It was absolutely rider error. I got him beat. I got hammered pretty good, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. P Val also carried me out extremely wide to the parking lot down the backstretch; then he kept pushing and banging me and trapped me in extremely tight on the dead rail from the far turn thru the entire stretch. Then EG was running sideways with the lead deep in the homestretch with his head and part of his body turned while having his momentum/stride and rhythm disrupted badly. In the Test of the Champion drug-free medication-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed him; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top. I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight 3-1 edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness absolutely was due to rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic. I was on the better horse."
McGaughey also said, "Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and Day let him back in the race. In the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Preakness, Day got to the lead then he remembered he was Pat Day. And when he FOLDED up on the turn, he allowed SS back in the race. He got the lead, and then he gave it back. He basically did the same thing in the Classic. In the Classic, when Day grabbed him after the start, maybe the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Day was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as DAY HAD DONE BEFORE, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence."
Better or best is definitely subjective, but having acknowledged that; take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Easy Goer's jockey and trainer, Pat ron franklin esque Day and the most conservative anti-speed McGaughey, were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed a horse like Easy Goer possessed. Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive, conservative, start-stop, wait go wait go wait, yield idle go yield go yield idle, fold up move fold up move fold up rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop Day, aka Pat wait go wait go wait go wait Day, aka Pat yield idle go yield idle go yield idle wait Day, aka Pat fold up move fold up move fold up Day, was pitiful. Pat ron franklin esque Day was riding a Ferrari in Easy Goer. But, Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, go wait go wait go wait, fold up move, fold up move fold up, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
Well Sunday Silence had a cokehead for a jockey 3 out of the 4 races their were in and didn't know how to use the whip properly so I guess that kinda evens it out. Pat Day did very well on Easy Goer in the Belmont and all the other races he won that Sunday Silence wasn't in. Both were super race horses. Take nothing away form either of them.
Did very well? Races wasn't in? Not. The Los Angeles Times quotes, no less : "If the great and truly special Easy Goer were only an ordinary horse, or even just a very good one, he would have probably lost both the 1989 Whitney and Woodward (when SS didn't show up and was resting for half of the year). Plenty were also howling about Day's rides in both the Whitney and Woodward. Hopelessly trapped and boxed in almost the entire races, then had to check on the far turns of both races. Boxed in most of the way, and checked hard and stopped twice in the Woodward. Their was severe and justified criticism of Day's riding. Day stopped and started and stopped and started with many of his mounts. Easy Goer endured yet more frustratingly tentative rides by rider Pat Day -- which is his Achilles heel. Pat Day played a bigger part in beating Easy Goer than Sunday Silence did. He over thought the mount instead of letting Easy Goer run his race. Easy Goer could run forever and run it fast! Day rode the horse incredibly inconsistent and immensely tentative. Poor Easy Goer never knew when Day was serious about when to run or not. A lemming could have ridden Easy Goer better." More quotes: 1) "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country, Menifee and numerous others. 3) "No jockey in the country took more abuse than Day. Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. Day could outwait the Jewish Prophet Job." 4) "Day's tentativeness and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!" 6) ”Because Day often arrived at the wire too late, he was given unflattering nicknames-Pat Wait All Day and Pat delay Day. Many critics described Day's riding as exasperating, and many still grind their teeth remembering many of his rides aboard different horses. Day's patience as a rider was at times demoralizing for owners, trainers, fans and bettors. As Pat Forde, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, penned in 1995, “He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days.” Day's riding style, as Barry Irwin wrote in 2016, "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage."
Day also said, "It was a terrible ride and totally my fault. I HAD MORE HORSE THAN I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH. It was absolutely rider error. I got him beat. I got hammered pretty good, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. P Val also carried me out extremely wide to the parking lot down the backstretch; then he kept pushing and banging me and trapped me in extremely tight on the dead rail from the far turn thru the entire stretch. Then EG was running sideways with the lead deep in the homestretch with his head and part of his body turned while having his momentum/stride and rhythm disrupted badly. In the Test of the Champion drug-free medication-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed him; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top. I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight 3-1 edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness absolutely was due to rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic. I was on the better horse." McGaughey also said, "Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and Day let him back in the race. In the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Preakness, Day got to the lead then he remembered he was Pat Day. And when he FOLDED up on the turn, he allowed SS back in the race. He got the lead, and then he gave it back. He basically did the same thing in the Classic. In the Classic, when Day grabbed him after the start, maybe the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Day was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as DAY HAD DONE BEFORE, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence."
Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela did outride Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop start Day. So did McCarron for that matter. So did Pincay, Cordero, Stevens, Bailey etc. It actually was Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela who was the one in the Preakness "trying to screw Pat ron franklin-esque Day the whole way around" by floating him very wide towards the barns on the back-side, and then by trapping him and pushing, banging and knocking him in very tight to the rail afterwards on the far turn and thru the entire stretch. Valenzuela's credibility is severely lacking. Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela regularly used devious gamesmanship and race-riding shenanigans etc. Valenzuela, however, could ride with the best of them, and who knows what his career would have been had he not lost the majority of it to an endless amount of cocaine suspensions and being banned.
Better or best is definitely subjective, but having acknowledged that; take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Easy Goer's jockey and trainer, Pat ron franklin esque Day and the most conservative anti-speed McGaughey, were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed a horse like Easy Goer possessed. Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive, conservative, start-stop, wait go wait go wait, yield idle go yield go yield idle, fold up move fold up move fold up rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop Day, aka Pat wait go wait go wait go wait Day, aka Pat yield idle go yield idle go yield idle wait Day, aka Pat fold up move fold up move fold up Day, was pitiful. Pat ron franklin esque Day was riding a Ferrari in Easy Goer. But, Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, go wait go wait go wait, fold up move, fold up move fold up, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
No jockey can run the perfect race every time out..All of them make poor decisions that cast a win for their horse. If you put a microscope on any jockey the way some have on pay day then you can make a case on any jockey on any horse that has lost a race. Hell I could make a case on every horse that lost to Man o War if I was to look close enough
Did everything right? NOT. The Los Angeles Times quotes, no less : "If the great and truly special Easy Goer were only an ordinary horse, or even just a very good one, he would have probably lost both the 1989 Whitney and Woodward (when SS didn't show up and was resting for half of the year). Plenty were also howling about Day's rides in both the Whitney and Woodward. Hopelessly trapped and boxed in almost the entire races, then had to check on the far turns of both races. Boxed in most of the way, and checked hard and stopped twice in the Woodward. Their was severe and justified criticism of Day's riding. Day stopped and started and stopped and started with many of his mounts. Easy Goer endured yet more frustratingly tentative rides by rider Pat Day -- which is his Achilles heel. Pat Day played a bigger part in beating Easy Goer than Sunday Silence did. He over thought the mount instead of letting Easy Goer run his race. Easy Goer could run forever and run it fast! Day rode the horse incredibly inconsistent and immensely tentative. Poor Easy Goer never knew when Day was serious about when to run or not. A lemming could have ridden Easy Goer better." More quotes: 1) "Racetrackers mockingly referred to Day as Pat delay Day or Pat wait all Day. The way Day rode DROVE MANY a captain of industry, hardboot trainer and regular fan to the BRINK OF RAGE." 2) "Pat Day's typical day to day riding was exasperating and many still grind their teeth remembering his rides aboard Java Gold, Easy Goer, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Turkoman, Sky Classic, Rampage, Heavenly Prize, Timber Country, Menifee and numerous others. 3) "No jockey in the country took more abuse than Day. Day rides slowly in a world where everybody, especially jockeys, is in a hurry. Day could outwait the Jewish Prophet Job." 4) "Day's tentativeness and patience as a reinsman was unnerving and exasperating for owners, trainers, fans, bettors etc." 5) "Pat Day said, "I was riding a horse for the master trainer Allen Jerkens, a trainer I rarely, if ever, got a mount for. After about 50 yards out of the gate, the horse came off the bridle. I ease him down to the fence, and we go a moderate half, just galloping. Turn for home, I picked him up, and I think, ‘I could win.’ But we get beat a half length or so. But I did my job, right? I could see Allen was agitated, kicking the dirt. I said, ‘Chief, he ran good. I got him to relax, slow down really good.’ “Slow down? Slow down?!” Jerkens was hot. “All horses got one weapon - their speed. Horses have been running away from their enemies for a million years, and I get a jockey named Pat Day who wants to change evolution!" 6) ”Because Day often arrived at the wire too late, he was given unflattering nicknames-Pat Wait All Day and Pat delay Day. Many critics described Day's riding as exasperating, and many still grind their teeth remembering many of his rides aboard different horses. Day's patience as a rider was at times demoralizing for owners, trainers, fans and bettors. As Pat Forde, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, penned in 1995, “He is so patient he could watch a faucet drip for days.” Day's riding style, as Barry Irwin wrote in 2016, "drove many a captain of industry, hard-boot trainer and horseplayer to the brink of rage."
Day also said, "It was a terrible ride and totally my fault. I HAD MORE HORSE THAN I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH. It was absolutely rider error. I got him beat. I got hammered pretty good, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. P Val also carried me out extremely wide to the parking lot down the backstretch; then he kept pushing and banging me and trapped me in extremely tight on the dead rail from the far turn thru the entire stretch. Then EG was running sideways with the lead deep in the homestretch with his head and part of his body turned while having his momentum/stride and rhythm disrupted badly. [In the Test of the Champion drug-free medication-free Belmont Stakes Easy Goer killed him; like wheat separating from chaff, the cream rose to the top.] I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight 3-1 edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness absolutely was due to rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic. I was on the better horse."
McGaughey also said, "Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and Day let him back in the race. In the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Preakness, Day got to the lead then he remembered he was Pat Day. And when he FOLDED up on the turn, he allowed SS back in the race. He got the lead, and then he gave it back. He basically did the same thing in the Classic. In the Classic, when Day grabbed him after the start, maybe the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Day was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as DAY HAD DONE BEFORE, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence."
Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela did outride and was better than Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop start Day. So did and was McCarron for that matter. So did and was Pincay, Cordero, Stevens, Bailey etc. It actually was Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela who was the one in the Preakness "trying to screw Pat ron franklin-esque Day the whole way around" by floating him very wide towards the barns on the back-side, and then by trapping him and pushing, banging and knocking him in very tight to the rail afterwards on the far turn and thru the entire stretch. Valenzuela's credibility is severely lacking. Pat suspended over 20 times for coke Valenzuela regularly used devious gamesmanship and race-riding shenanigans etc. Valenzuela, however, could ride with the best of them, and who knows what his career would have been had he not lost the majority of it to an endless amount of cocaine suspensions and being banned. Better or best is definitely subjective, but having acknowledged that; take nothing away from Sunday Silence as he was a great horse, but Easy Goer was a superior, greater, better, stronger and faster horse; Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron were better jockeys than Pat ron franklin-esque Day; and the master trainer Charlie the Bald Eagle Whittingham was a better trainer than Claude Shug McGaughey. Easy Goer's jockey and trainer, Pat ron franklin esque Day and the most conservative anti-speed McGaughey, were both pitiful. McGaughey was and is the most conservative trainer of all-time who rarely trained his horses for speed, no matter how much big-time brilliant speed a horse like Easy Goer possessed. Pat ron franklin esque Day was the most tentative, passive, conservative, start-stop, wait go wait go wait, yield idle go yield go yield idle, fold up move fold up move fold up rider of all-time. Many of Pat Ron Franklin esque Day's rides on Easy Goer, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Sky Classic, Turkoman, Heavenly Prize, Rampage, Timber Country, Menifee, Surfside, Java Gold, etc were Ron Franklin - esque! Pat ron franklin esque Day, aka Pat start stop start stop Day, aka Pat wait go wait go wait go wait Day, aka Pat yield idle go yield idle go yield idle wait Day, aka Pat fold up move fold up move fold up Day, was pitiful. Pat ron franklin esque Day was riding a Ferrari in Easy Goer. But, Pat ron franklin esque Day rode Easy Goer -- and many other horses -- like a teenager at the wheels of a Ferrari. Pat ron franklin esque Day never came to terms with the immense power and big-time speed at his disposal and how and when to use it. Go yield idle go, go yield idle go, go wait go wait go wait, fold up move, fold up move fold up, inside, outside, back inside, back outside.
Pat Ron Franklin Esque Day yeah Easy Goer was indeed in some trouble in the Woodward. But he got out of that trouble in fine order. That's what great horses do. But it took a great jockey to get him out of trouble and give the horse a chance to win which is what Pat Day did..that's what great jockeys do they know how to get out of trouble just like he did in the Woodward. But again Sunday Silence wasn't in that race there wasn't a horse that was just as good as Easy Goer in that race. But good eye on spotting the troubles in that race for Easy Goer
Better horse? Who was 'better' is nonobjective & intuitive, but they both clearly were great Hall of Fame champs. Easy Goer was inches away (Preakness) from it being a level, even 2 to 2 (four races are a small sample) when opposing SS in direct competition (yes it still was 3-1 SS), no excuses here. Easy Goer did have a superior career re'sum'e & accomplished & achieved more in his career. In this race, Whittingham ordered McCarron to not hit him with the whip. They were both whipped in the other races they ran vs each other, though EG was hand ridden the last eighth of a mile coasting in the Belmont. Easy Goer was a Hall of Fame champion who ran a still standing (over 26 years & counting) record mile in 1:32 & change (fastest mile of all time by any 3 yr old) , ran the second fastest Belmont Stakes of all time behind only Secretariat, - ran among the fastest versions of many momentous races (Whitney, Travers, Belmont, Champagne, Suburban, Gotham, near 6 1/2 furlong record at age 2, fastest 7 furlongs of the year in Florida) at all distances. Easy Goer also ran a historic, strenuous, toilsome 3 yr old campaign (Belmont, Whitney, Travers, Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup etc). Easy Goer ran 1:53 4/5 for 9.5f in Maryland, and ran 2:00 1/5 for 10f in Florida, losing by inches and a neck in these races. Easy Goer also ran the fastest 7 furlongs of the year in Florida in 1989. Easy Goer ran 17 of his 20 total races in New York or Florida. His old school, old timer owner ran him mostly in the historic, prestigious Grade 1 races in New York & Florida (mostly NY, 2 in FL). EG was a Hall of Fame champion (SS was also) who didn't have any problem at all with shipping to other states and other tracks. He did specifically despise the quirky, peanut buttery, sticky Churchill mud and seemed to flounder in it being a huge, extremely powerful horse with chronically bad, puffy ankles, though his talent, class and ability landed him 2nd's in those races. Though EG won & ran great in mud elsewhere. He was among many great horses (Skip Away, Point Given, Go For Wand, Holy Bull, etc) who hated Churchill, however he never ran over a fast track there.
I don't think it was about having it his way, the states, the adapting, the surfaces or shipping at all. They BOTH had to ship for the 3 TC races and the BC. Easy Goer ALSO had to ship & adapt to different tracks, states and surfaces as well, as his shipping schedule was- from NY to Florida for the winter, from Florida to NY, from NY to Kentucky, then back to NY in between, then from NY to Maryland, from Maryland to NY, then upstate & back downstate NY, then from NY to Florida for the BC. If my count is correct, that is the same amount of ships as SS. Easy Goer ran many more races (and ran a much more strenuous post Triple Crown campaign) and also never got beat by more than 2 lengths (also never finishing off the board) in his career. SS had a much less strenuous post Triple Crown campaign. You can also look at the timing, distance and spacing of the so called prep races. Easy Goer ran a record mile in the Gotham, then 2 weeks later won the Wood Memorial, then only 2 weeks later was the start of the Triple Crown races (total of 5 races in 9 weeks). SS ran his last Derby prep 4 weeks out. EG also ran in the 1 1/2 mile Jockey Club against older horses in his 'prep' for the BC (after the Whitney, Travers, & Woodward, and defeated older horses conceding weight in a few of them), while SS had one easy 10f prep vs three year olds in the 3 months leading into the BC.
But to me, It was most likely much more about track circumferences. Easy Goer did win on ALL the major track circumferences of USA dirt tracks (1 mile, 1 1/8 mile, 1 1/2 mile). EG was an Undefeated 5 for 5 over 1 1/8 miles tracks at all distances. SS did not win over all tracks. In fact, SS lost 3 races over larger 1 1/8 tracks (at his HOME track of Hollywood) and lost his 1 race over a 1 1/2 mile track by 8 lengths. EG's record over mile tracks (4 losses though narrow losses) was very similar to SS's record over 1 1/8 or larger tracks (SS lost 3 races at his home 1 1/8mile larger track & lost 4 races over 1 1/8 or bigger tracks). I think Easy Goer would (did) have had an advantage running over moderately wide & wider turned 1 1/8 mile tracks (or larger), regardless of state or region, in: Florida (Hialeah Park), Chicago (Arlington Park, where they were supposed to meet at age 4), Hollywood (California), Atlantic City (NJ), Saratoga (NY), Aqueduct (NY), Laurel Park (Maryland), Keeneland (KY), Ellis Park (KY), Colonial (Va.), Belmont (NY), and the current Gulfstream in Florida is also NOW a larger 1 1/8 mile oval. SS would (did) have had an advantage of running against EG on any sharper, tighter turned mile track, including in NY if they ran at the mile oval in Finger Lakes. I think Easy Goer did (would) have an advantage over Sunday Silence on 1 1/8 mile tracks or larger (while SS did-would have adv. on mile sized tracks). The way we saw these two horses run around the different sized turns (not only when they ran vs. each other, but in their careers) at various distances. The fact that Easy Goer was an undefeated 5 for 5 on 1 1/8 mile sized tracks, won 8 of 10 on the 1 1/2 mile sized track (total of 13 for 15 on larger tracks), but lost 4 of 5 on mile tracks. The fact that Sunday Silence won 7 of 8 on mile sized tracks, but lost 3 of 5 on 1 1/8 tracks and lost a total of 4 of 6 on 1 1/8 or larger tracks. Easy Goer was a robust, massive, powerful, long striding horse with club feet & oversized, puffy ankles & knees & was well suited, far more effective & excelled on 1 1/8 miles or larger tracks. Sunday Silence was a compact, short-actioned, cat like horse who was well suited , far more effective & excelled on the tighter, sharper turns of mile tracks. I think SS had (& would have) an advantage on sharper, tighter turned mile tracks vs EG, while EG had (& would have) an advantage on the moderately wide & wider turned 1 1/8m or larger tracks vs SS.
Charles Ray Easy Goer and Sunday Silence are both dead dude! I am an admirer of both of these great, dead horses. For that matter, Man O' War, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Citation, Noor, Kelso, Beau Purple, Onion, Angle Light, Prove Out, Spectacular Bid, Forego, Big Spruce, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Buckpasser and many others are also dead as well dude. Tell their admirers who comment on their videos to let it go also.
Charles Ray Clozapine is your friend dude! I am a thoroughbred racing fan, not a psycho horse worshiper. And what are you dude?
Charles Ray You are admitting you are a troll? That is really sad 'dude.'
Charles Ray Actually it sounds like you seriously are a troll.
Charles Ray Perspective & a sense of humor I have. Random, incomprehensible comments? Actually, You made aimless, purposeless, meaningless comments (replies) & insults. Now, you state your derogatory rudeness was you just being facetious. Either way, your replies were meaningless.
Like many of the racing experts stated from both regions in the US(Crist,Nack,Christine,Hirsch,etc),and even stated by trainers Wayne Lukas and Woody Stephens, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of Espn,"Easy Goer was the better,more phenomenal,extraordinary horse, but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck in two races because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire,rode him horribly." Very true and correct IMO.
I think Easy Goer had the most talent and the most ability of any horse since Secretariat. Easy Goer ran so many beastly,gigantic colossal performances at every distance he ran. SS gets huge credit for what he was able to do vs. a mammoth,gigantic freak. I think SS would have given most big,great horses some problems specifically over sharp turned mile tracks.
Easy Goer, the better horse exploded by him. Easy Goer exploded & flew like a shot around that sharp turn at Gulfstream Park in the Swale. In spite of when Pat Day moved, or in spite of how fast or how slow Day moved, he would routinely back down and pull back after making moves, and put out the fire which was in full flame. Confusing him, start stop, easing up letting him down etc cost the better horse.
Day- "Absolute rider error. I was on the better horse. I got him beat." Easy Goer exploded and flew like a shot around that sharp turn at Gulfstream in the Swale Stakes. Pat Day's own words on the Classic. Thoroughbred Times, Nov. 10, 1989 Mark Simon article: "My horse put in a big run up the backside. Then I THROTTLED him BACK, and Settled him, and gave him a breather." More of Pat Day's own words on the Classic: Nov. 5, 1989 Sun Sentinel Dave Joseph article, "My ride wasn't the most desirable or most satisfactory. My horse put in a big run, then I settled him and gave him a breather when SS went." In spite of when Day moved, or in spite of how fast or not that he moved, he would always ease up, back down & pull back & put out the fire when in full flame (let down, confusing start, stop, start, stop) after making moves, as he did in both the Preakness & Classic.
When Easy Goer regained the lead at the top of the stretch vs Easy Goer in the Preakness, you have absolutely no evidence to support your claim that he was confused. You have no evidence that Easy Goer lost the race as a result of being confused. He had the lead in a straight stretch of track where he was supposed to be faster than Sunday Silence. You have no evidence that Easy Goer wasn't motivated to run faster than Sunday Silence at the point in the race. The only thing that you or anyone else knows was that he had the lead in the stretch and on a straight section of track, but he simply could not beat Sunday Silence. It appears he was too exhausted to get the job done.
No, there is no way anyone can know that. Maybe Day knew or would know, as he was the one who used those terms and rode the horse. I found a few times Day used those terms. Day said, "We very possibly shouldn't have been defeated in the Preakness. I got hammered pretty good after the race, and I'm the first to say that it wasn't unwarranted. The race was a real dogfight. My horse made a big move down the backside, catapulted himself to the lead, and if there were any mistakes made, it was probably at that point, when I just didn't continue on with him."
Day also said in the TVG Interview video, "I got him beat the first time he ran. Not having ever been on him, not knowing what kind of explosive acceleration he had, not knowing anything about him except that Shug was pretty high on him. He's handling everything like a pro in the race, but I was unsure how responsive he was going to be. I pulled the trigger not knowing I was going to get the response that I did. When I called on him he exploded. I was 'concerned' after pulling the trigger on Easy Goer and him exploding and committing to go on, and then letting him down and 'confusing' him, start stop start stop." Though that was only his very first race, and both McGaughey and Day later said that EG didn't figure things out until after his first race; the light didn't go on until after he ran that first time. We may gather from this that Day was concerned about this type of riding when riding Easy Goer in any race, and that he may not want to ride EG this way in any race. Or he may have only been concerned about this way of riding him being that it was only his first race. The latter would make sense because Day rode him in many races specifically in the way he described in the video that would be 'concerning' to him. Preakness, Classic, Whitney, and Woodward come to mind. In many races, win or lose, like the Belmont Stakes, Travers, Champagne, Gotham, Cowdin, Suburban, Met, Juvenile, Gold Stage, Wood Memorial and Swale Stakes, Day didn't ride him in that 'start stop start stop' kind of way, which Day seemingly was 'concerned' about.
Pat Day also said, "I've always believed and I'll continue to believe that Easy Goer was a better horse than Sunday Silence. I've said it before and I'll always say it, I think Easy Goer was better than Sunday Silence, despite his slight edge in the head to head races. I'll go to my grave believing that. We lost two photos to him and the one in the Preakness was absolutely due to a rider error on my part, and my ride wasn't the best in the Classic."
Shug McGaughey said, "I asked Day to ride Easy Goer for a few reasons, even though my No. 1 and No. 2 riders at the time were Angel Cordero and Randy Romero. One reason was, despite Easy Goer's superior breeding, his GI winning full sister Cadillacing who I also trained, was more of a one-run late-running sprinter. I had two aggressive jockeys ride her, both Randy Romero and Angel Cordero. Cordero, who was her main rider, was given proper instructions and knew her well. Cordero also rode their mother, champion Relaxing, who was trained by Penna. I'm going along with Easy Goer thinking he may only be a one-run late-running sprinter like his full sister Cadillacing. It turned out Easy Goer could run every distance brilliantly and do it in a variety of ways, and he had many runs in him. But I originally thought Day would be more patient on him than Cordero or Romero. I thought Cordero or Romero would be too aggressive of a rider on him. That's one reason why I chose Day." McGaughey, later after the Preakness, is quoted as saying, "I just want Day to be aggressive and, if it comes down to a mistake deciding the race, force the other rider into the mistake."
McGaughey also said, "The other reason I chose Day to ride Easy Goer was because Pat Day helped him by not crucifying him in his races and he brought me back some horse. He had soundness problems, but we stayed on top of it. Pat Day and I agree that he made riding mistakes in the Preakness. We had Sunday Silence beat and he let him back in the race. But in the other races, there were circumstances that contributed to what happened. In the Classic, maybe when Pat Day grabbed him after the start, the horse didn't understand what he was doing. Then Pat was content to sit and wait behind Sunday Silence, as he had done before, and the other horse got away from us, and we just missed and fell just a stride or so short. In my heart, I think Easy Goer is the better horse than Sunday Silence. I think anybody would say that if those two ran against each other ten times, each would probably win five."
"Better" is totally subjective. "Better" in any way is totally subjective. Neither
the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these
horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able
to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is
the records of two horses in a VERY LIMITED number of races. A few
races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if
you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is
it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better"
(which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge
over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's
"better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all
totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats
were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses. Citation,
Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry,
Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others.
Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau
Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out
of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus;
Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir
Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out
of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar
examples.
Easy Goer ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less
time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly
in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all
drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much
more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of
his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications.
Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a
circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record
on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size
of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region,
rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being
allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot
be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is
much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that
determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other
variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or
lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically
because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat.
There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior
career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins,
wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg
running times at various distances & at all distances, head to
heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried &
weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older
horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or
campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance,
injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and
trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes,
track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings
with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications
allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc
etc & many many more. They were both great horses, but who's better
is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount
of other factors.
Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9
Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing
versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6
Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile
indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also
defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a
good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses
only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor
Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to
run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running
times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e)
career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8
million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins -
9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older
horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1
stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS
at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2
& a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was
defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career;
& other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying
distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records,
running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns,
durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average
win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight
concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO
Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other
factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors
are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both
greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a
superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS
held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness
win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
Out of ALL the racing expert's all over the country who stated it, Paul Moran of Espn and Newsday stated it the most correctly, "Easy Goer was the better and more remarkably talented horse but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire." So TRUE and correct.
Like so many turf writer experts stated from all regions of the United States, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of Espn, "Easy Goer was the better and more amazingly and extraordinarily talented horse, but was defeated by an inch and desperate neck in two races because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire, rode him horribly." So true and correct
Easy Goer finishing with a flourish soaring by, one jump short.
How is SS the "Better" Horse When this Rivalry came down to 1 Lucky "Nose" at the Wire from The Rivalry record being Tied at 2-2?...So SS was the Better Horse because He got the lucky "Nose" Photo in The Preakness?...Makes no sense...Not to mention EG being tightly pinned down on the rail the ENTIRE Stretch...This Rivalry was as Close as it Gets...As an EG fan i will not say he was "Better" than SS...But he was more "Talented" than SS...This Rivalry came down to Shug trying to Win EVERY Big race in NY while Whittingham Concentrated on getting SS ready for the BIG races and Especially the Classic as he had SS Unused and Very Fresh for that Race..Shug was Busy Putting EG through a long grueling campaign including at 12F
Absolutely, if Jerry Bailey, Angel Cordero, Laffit rode Easy Goer, Easy Goer NEVER ever gets beat an inch and desperate neck in two races because of despicable Pat Day rides. You are right my man
Pat, a day late, lost this race not Easy Goer.
Not pats fault..EG was being himself
Travis West Travis West
Michael Richardson Indeed! Cordero, Bailey, Pincay, Stevens, Valenzuela, McCarron on EG & EG wins them all. Woody Stephens, Whittingham, or Allen Jerkens training EG, EG wins them all. ss forced to run drug-free without any ped drugs, EG wins them all. Races run on bigger tracks with circumferences larger than a mile (Hialeah, Hollywood, Arlington, Saratoga, Aqueduct, Atlantic City, Laurel, etc), EG wins them all. Plus the illegal performance enhancing drugs given to the drug-reliant ss, which ss's vet Alex Harthill admitted to. ss forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state at the time which banned all drugs - and banned ss's illegal criminal vet Harthill - ss gets destroyed. Ditto Prized.
Michael Richardson Indeed, you are correct Michael R.
The True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion & Eclipse Award Champion Easy Goer was never beaten by more than 2 lengths in any race in his drug-free career in a much longer career running far more career races drug-free & winning G1's drug-free at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and 12f on all track sizes (8f, 9f & 12f sized tracks) with much less rest and time between races, carrying and conceding more weights, and running faster times at all distances, & far superior speed figures, far superior performance ratings. The Classic Distance for the Whole World is 12f (1 1/2m). Meanwhile, the drug-dependent and illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-dependent sunday silence was beaten by a Whopping 8 lengths (almost 4x times a bigger margin that the drug-reliant & illegal criminal veterinarian Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence was beaten without all of his illegal performance enhancing drugs) in a much shorter career with ped drugs needed and given, running far less career races, carrying and conceding less weights, and only won G1's with performance enhancing drugs and his illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill, and only at 9f to 10f only with performance enhancing drugs and only on small 8f sized tracks and with much more rest and time between races and ran far less career races even with performance enhancing drugs. Talk about a horse that needed to bring his illegal performance enhancing drugs and illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill with him - ss is just that horse, a drug-reliant horse, an illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant horse! Talk about a horse that needed to bring his one sized small 8f track with him, ss is just that horse.
Prior to This 89 Classic Easy Goers Ankles Were Swelled to The Size of Grapefruits...They Discussed Scratching Him and He Ran a Heck of a Race Under The Circumstances...Better Ride and 100% Healthy Horse and EG Wins This Race Fairly Easily
@@jackwoods9604 Thats a lie. Sunday Silence had a hoof problem and still ran and won 🤪
That's 100% Truth. The truth also is the fact that the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence was given the illegal performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze, Etorphine, Furosemide (scientifically proven to give a 9 length performance enhancement), etc, while the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion ran drug-free without any drugs, & ss still only by the narrowest of margins with all of ped drugs. When ss was forced to run drug-free without any drugs (& without his banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill as well), not only did the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer cremate ss, but ss barely beat the bottom level maiden claimer Le Voyageur. The True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer - even with puffy, problematic ankles, knees & shins, a clubfoot, a crooked turned-out left knee & cracks in both front feet - won 14 races drug-free without any drugs, while the drug-dependent & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-dependent sunday silence won 0 races drug-free without any drugs.
Sunday Silence's vet Alex Harthill told all how & why the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence beat the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer by the slimmest of margins in a few races. Harthill said, "You can only REVERE the horses (Easy Goer, etc) whom my horses (Sunday Silence, etc) defeated even more, to do all they (Easy Goer, etc) were asked to do, just to fall a slight bit short (Easy Goer, etc) of horses (Sunday Silence, etc) who had been given performance-enhancing drugs (Sunday Silence, etc) by myself." The True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer cremated the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence when ss was forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state in the entire country at the time which banned all drugs, & as importantly also banned ss's illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill as well. DRF 01 article: "Kentucky Derby Doctor Alex Harthill Reveals Disgraceful Past: Harthill Reflects on Unlawful Life's Work. Harthill Discloses He Administered Forbidden Performance-Enhancing Drugs To Many American Classic Winners In The Kentucky Derby, Preakness And Breeders' Cup Classic." How about the Belmont Stakes & the enormous amount of the other major G1 stakes races in New York? How about when the Breeders Cup took place in NY? Harthill was barred in NY. NY also was the only state in the entire country during that era which banned all drugs. NY also had the most advanced out-of-competition, training & raceday testing, & tested for an enormous amount of drugs. DRF 01 Hovdey article: "Alex Harthill was BOLD ENOUGH to tell me (Hovdey/DRF) how he illegally gave numerous horses illegal drugs, INCLUDING Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine TO SUNDAY SILENCE. Harthill ADMITTED to illegally breaking the laws in ENHANCING his horses PERFORMANCES. Harthill ADMITTED to illegally using the immensely effective performance enhancing Bronchodilator drug Clenbuterol REGULARLY in the 1980's on his horses, 15 years before it was approved by the FDA, INCLUDING USING IT ON SUNDAY SILENCE. Harthill introduced the incredibly effective performance enhancing drug Clenbuterol in the 1980's & illegally administered it TO SUNDAY SILENCE, who benefited immeasurably by its immensely effective performance enhancing effects. Some of Harthill's other drugs that HE ADMINISTERED TO SUNDAY SILENCE were Etorphine & Sublimaze. The drug Clenbuterol has a similar effect on the body as Epinephrine & Amphetamines by increasing the production of Epinephrine & Noradrenaline, & thus significantly enhancing performance. Clenbuterol also thins blood & widens the vessels that carry oxygen, so the volume of oxygen in the blood increases, & thus significantly increases energy, & thus significantly enhances performance. Clenbuterol is an extraordinary drug with 2 completely different effects that dramatically & greatly enhance performance, & significantly enhance speed, stamina, endurance, lung capacity & energy levels; it greatly aids breathing by significantly expanding the air passages in the lungs letting air flow much more freely, & it dramatically reduces body fat by causing rapid fat burning. The drug Clenbuterol performed miracles for horses who made inexplicable improvements with major enhancements in performance. Etorphine is an Opiate 80,000 Times More Powerful than Morphine. Sublimaze is a potent narcotic. The drugs Etorphine & Sublimaze are drugs that give horses such a sense of euphoria & well-being that they feel like they don’t have legs. The drugs Harthill administered were being used to improve a horse's performance, & they were REMARKABLY EFFECTIVE. Harthill was the vet that manipulated horse races & he Publicly Acknowledged Doing So many times. The US DEA filed suit against Alex Harthill on 102 charges of possessing & using unusual quantities of these & other drugs. Alex Harthill & drugs have led to the destruction of integrity in racing. Harthill was at the vanguard of giving drugs to horses that were used to vastly enhance their performances, & they were remarkably effective turning good horses into great horses, bad horses into good horses, slower horses into faster horses, horses with no business winning doing so, & causing horses to run far over their heads. Harthill was a vet who had stolen a 30 length lead in the race to discover drugs that would significantly move up racehorses, & Harthill had no hesitancy in using whatever was available. Harthill was a magic man vet practicing the dark arts of racehorse manipulation. Harthill was arrested many times for tampering, bribery & doping horses with drugs. Alex Harthill did more cheating with drugs to win horse races than any vet in history. Harthill's innovation in this area got him arrested many times for illegally injecting horses with numerous drugs & for public bribery. Harthill bribed state officials to throw away positive drug tests from horses that he had treated, & lost his license in many states. Harthill was the vet that manipulated horse races & he Publicly Acknowledged Doing So many times. Harthill was the most important factor in countless outcomes of numerous races. Harthill made Bob Baffert, Rick Dutrow, etc., look like Altar Boys."
Harthill said, 'I was used for horses pointing for, & running in, MAJOR RACES who NEEDED DRUGS & had INFIRMITIES. I earned the reputation I had. I am very proud of the horses I helped WITH DRUGS IN THEIR CAREERS. Drugs always go through changing stages of being detected on drug tests. What I focused on was what drugs enhanced performance, together with what drugs could conceal illegal drugs, along with what drugs didn't show up on drug tests. For these reasons, I gave my horses a considerable advantage. Trainers would say, Don't get me caught, but keep me worried. Even though a horse is 5 or 7 times larger than humans, the amount of dope needed to have an effect is so small. An amount on the tip of a match would be enough to flick up a horse's nose to get a spectacular result. By the time they got my horses to the starting gate they’d be leaping out of their skin. I administered illegal drugs throughout my career that INCREASED the performances of racehorses IN CLASSIC RACES, & almost all of the time I did so, my horses won. You can only revere the horses whom my horses defeated even more, to do all they were asked to do, just to fall a slight bit short of horses who had been given performance-enhancing drugs by myself. By doing so, I acknowledge that I effectively stole a large amount of money in my career, & cheated many other horses, trainers, owners & riders I competed against. Nonetheless, I consider my extensive doping as a mark of pride.' " Besides Harthill admitting it, there is the CERTAINTY of MOUNDS of more evidence regarding Harthill's illegalities. It should also be noted Lasix is a potent ped drug & the main drug which masks & flushes other banned drugs; plus it reduces body weight by 16 to 25lbs, & the study of 23k races shows Lasix gives a significant 9 length performance enhancement. It's the truth based on Harthill's voluntary admission to DRF Hovdey in 01, plus all of the 88-90 DRFs; 2012 NY Post article titled "The 11 horses who missed out on Triple Crown at Belmont" found on the web; DRF's Mike Watchmaker, Ed Fountaine & Paul Moran; Wikipedia articles with many reliable sources cited; 2 Claiborne books; NY Law; DRF, Bloodhorse & Thor. Record/Times; & mounds more.
☝@@traviswest949
Like so many turf writer experts stated from all regions of the country, but stated the most correct by Paul Moran of espn, "Easy Goer was the better and more extraordinary and remarkable horse, but was defeated by a whisker and desperate neck in two races because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire,rode him horribly." So true and correct.
Better in any way to completely subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). Hall of Fame champ Easy Goer never had to bring his track with him - EG won on mile tracks, 1 1/8m tracks, and 1 1/2m tracks. SS did not. SS lost 3 of 5 on 1 1/8m sized tracks (LOSING record at his home track losing 3 races there), and SS lost 4 of 6 on 1 1/8m or larger tracks. EG won G1 races at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f and 12f all without any drugs; SS ONLY won G1 races at 9f to 10f with drugs; that's a huge difference in versatility. That's also like saying that Sunday Silence never won when racing without his drugs. That's also like saying that SS never won on larger circumferenced tracks (lost 4 of 6) of a 1 1/8 miles or larger. That's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him with his drugs; that's like saying that ss only (or only would) beat him on smaller circumferenced tracks because ss's record on 1 1/8 miles or larger circumferenced tracks (LOST 4 of 6, and LOST 3 times at his larger circumferenced Hollywood Park track) was similar to EG's record on smaller circumferenced tracks. Of course Easy Goer won outside drugfree New York, the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs. And in the process, Easy Goer ran the fastest 7f of the year in Florida while doing so. Fellow Hall of Famer Forego LOST ALL of his races outside New York and Florida - Forego lost all 4 of his races outside NY and Florida. Hall of Famer Kelso lost an amazing 16 races outside NY. Hall of Famer Zenyatta only won in California and Arkansas. Hall of Famer Ruffian only won in NY and NJ. Hall of Famer Beholder only won in California, and lost all 4 of her races outside California. Hall of Famers Ack Ack and Native Diver only won in California. Who's better in any way is totally subjective. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes (the classic distance for the whole world) where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs & medications. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
Better is totally subjective. ACTUALLY, THE CLASSIC DISTANCE FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD IS A MILE AND A HALF. There was the Test of the Champion Belmont Stakes (the classic distance for the whole world) where Easy Goer destroyed him in the only state in the entire country during that era that banned all drugs & medications. Balanced against that are two wins by Sunday Silence against Easy Goer by the narrowest of margins, and a total of 3 wins which SS won by a combined margin of less than two and three-quarter lengths. So SS held the slight 3-1 edge against EG with 3 wins coming in close wins and a loss in which he was destroyed. Easy Goer also ran the record mile one full second faster than Secretariat's record. Easy Goer also ran a better, faster Ragozin speed figure than Secretariat did in their respective Belmont Stakes. Easy Goer also ran some of the greatest, fastest all timer performances at every distance he ran - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Easy Goer generally ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances. Easy Goer more often ran faster times than Sunday Silence at all distances, including many outstanding, perennial all timer performances at every distance - 6.5F, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10F, 12F. Sunday Silence lost 36% of his races, mostly to lesser horses including Houston, Prized, Criminal Type, and Cro Lover. Better in any way is totally subjective. Neither the Easy Goer/SS example or the other ones I cite show that any of these horses was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways) or was able to consistently get the better of the other. All these examples show is the records of two horses in a VERY MINUSCULE number of races. A few races certainly would NOT be even close to a large enough sample size if you were trying to establish consistency on a statistical basis; nor is it even close to a large enough sample size to show who was "better" (which is totally subjective anyways). SS held the slight 3 to 1 edge over EG in the races they both ran in. Those are facts, but who's "better overall", "better in general," or "better" in any way are all totally subjective. "Better" is totally subjective and numerous greats were behind or tied in head to head records vs other horses, including Citation, Kelso, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr Fager, Damascus, Swaps, Nashua, John Henry, Skip Away, Sir Barton, Pleasant Colony, Shuvee and many others. Citation got beat 4 out of 5 by Noor; Kelso got beat 3 out of 4 by Beau Purple; Forego got beat 2 out of 3 by Big Spruce; Shuvee got beat 4 out of 5 by Gallant Bloom; Dr Fager got beat 2 out of 4 by Damascus; Pleasant Colony got beat 3 out of 4 by Akureyri; Triple Crown winner Sir Barton got beat 8 out of 12 by Billy Kelly; Skip Away got beat 4 out of 6 by Formal Gold; & there are an endless amount of other similar examples.
Easy Goer also ran many more races in a shorter time period with much less time between races, and at more varying distances; & he ran mostly in the only state in the entire country at the time that banned all drugs & medications. SS ran significantly less races with much more time between races, at less varying distances, & all but 1 of his races were run in states that allowed drugs & medications. Sunday Silence's record (Lost 4 of 6 races) on bigger tracks with a circumference of 1 1/8m or larger was very similar to Easy Goer's record on smaller mile circumferenced tracks. However, size of tracks, size of turns, straightaway/turn speed & acceleration, region, rider/rider tactics, trainer/training, drugs/medications not being allowed, etc etc, are just a few of the numerous variables, and cannot be simplified when there are many more factors and variables. It is much more complicated than that given the myriad of variables that determine the outcome of races. Failing to factor the numerous other variables in can lead to the wrong conclusions about why horses win or lose races. It makes no sense to look at cause and effect simplistically because other variables may have determined the outcome. Just because the Earth looks flat based on the way we actually see it, does not mean that it is flat. There are numerous factors, including but not limited to : superior career, superior & better body of work, GI wins, Graded Stakes wins, wins against older horses & open company, running times, avg running times at various distances & at all distances, head to heads, records set, still standing records, weights carried & weights conceded, stakes wins & stakes wins vs. open company/older horses, varying distances won at during career, superior campaign or campaigns, durability, constitution, superiority & dominance, injuries, jockeys, riding & rider errors, trainers, training and trainer errors, win/loss %'s, trips, amount of races run, track sizes, track circumferences, post positions, campaign & career earnings with & without bonuses, races with drugs & medications allowed/used, races with no drugs & medications allowed/used, etc etc & many many more.
They were both great horses, but who's better is still totally subjective even after factoring in the endless amount of other factors. Easy Goer & SS were both greats. Easy Goer won 12 total stakes, 9 Grade 1 wins at distances of 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, and 12f showing versatility on all tracks & many distances. SS won 7 total stakes, 6 Grade 1 wins but only at distances from 9f to 10f. Both versatile indeed, but that is a big difference in versatility. Easy Goer also defeated older horses Six times at ages three and four while conceding a good amount of weight in quite a few of them. SS defeated older horses only two times at ages three and four. Many other factors would favor Easy Goer over SS as well, including a) amount of career races able to run - 20 to 14 ; b) amount of total career wins - 14 to 9 ; c) running times at all distances ; d) average running times at all distances ; e) career earnings without bonuses - about $ 4.8 million to about $ 3.8 million ; f) career winning percentage - 70% to 64% ; g) Grade 1 wins - 9 to 6 ; h) total stakes wins - 12 to 7 ; i) wins vs older horses/open/unrestricted at ages three & four - 6 to 2 ; j) Grade 1 stakes wins at various distances - EG at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f; SS at only 9f to 10f ; k) Easy Goer never was defeated by more than 2 & a half lengths in any race in a much longer career, SS never was defeated by more than 8 lengths in any race in a much shorter career; & other factors that would favor Easy Goer would be varying distances won at, records set, near records set, still standing records, running times, avg running times at all distances, campaigns, durability, constitution, dominance & superiority in races - average win margin and average loss margin, weights carried, weight concessions, etc. Other than SS's slight edge in head to head races, IMO Easy Goer was better than SS in most - if not all - these other factors & categories. But even after all of these numerous factors are factored in, who was better is still subjective. They were both greats, but IMO Easy Goer was a better horse, had a superior body of work, and had a superior career than SS even though SS held the slight edge in head to head races by the nose of his Preakness win. There is a lot more that can be said other than head to heads.
Only place he beat him was his own backyard 💀😂
The only Hall of Fame inductions, Eclipse Awards, races & records that count are those that were/are run drug-free without any performance enhancing drugs at all, without any drugs at all, & that is why the True Drug-Free Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer's Hall of Fame induction, Eclipse Awards, races & records count (& Not the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence), & the legal, moral, ethical score is Easy Goer 14 wins drug-free without any drugs, SS 0 drug-free without any drugs; Easy Goer 14, SS 0; EG 1, ss 0. The TRUE DRUG-FREE HALL OF FAME CHAMPION EASY GOER earned induction in the Hall of Fame & earned Eclipse Awards while doing it drug-free without any ped drugs, without any drugs, in all of his races in his career; while the drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence did it with the illegal performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol (an extraordinarily powerful performance enhancing drug), Sublimaze (an extraordinarily powerful performance enhancing drug; & significantly more powerful than aspirin bute) & Etorphine (an extraordinarily powerful performance enhancing drug; & significantly more powerful than aspirin bute), plus the powerful performance enhancing diuretic drug Furosemide/Lasix (a study of 23,000 races proved it gives a 6 TO 9 LENGTH performance enhancement, plus it reduces body weight by 16lbs to 25 pounds, & is the main drug which masks other drugs), etc etc. Harthill admitted he gave the illegal performance enhancing drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine to sunday silence. Harthill was arrested, banned, suspended & fined numerous times in many states for giving many horses illegal performance enhancing drugs.
During that era New York was the only state in the entire country that banned all drugs, & had the most advanced out-of-competition & raceday drug testing. Plus, as importantly, NY banned the illegal criminal vet of ss Alex Harthill [arrested an endless amount of times for illegally drugging an endless amount of horses; & Harthill admitted that he illegally gave illegal performance enhancing drugs (Clenbuterol, Sublimaze, Etorphine, etc) to ss]. During that era, it was a huge credit to NY [& the rest of the whole world] that the endless amount of their championship G1 races stood as gigantic obstacles to drug-reliant horses like ss; & these horses, like ss & many others, got exposed badly when they were forced to run drug-free with no-drugs at all. ONLY no-drugs races were/are true championship races. Only no-drugs races could/can be called championship races. Only No-drugs races kept/keep the outcomes crystal clear. No-drugs races are the only true tests of champions. That is integrity, honesty, fair play & complete fairness for all. EG dusted ss when ss was forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state in the whole country during that era which banned all drugs, & as importantly also banned ss's illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill as well. EG only lost by the slimmest of margins in a few races to ss because ss needed & was given the ped drugs Clenbuterol, Sublimaze & Etorphine, plus Furosemide/Lasix (a study of 23,000 races showed it gives a 6 to 9 length performance enhancement), etc etc. Easy Goer won 14 races, 12 stakes races, 9 G1 races drug-free without any drugs on all 3 sized tracks (8f, 9f & 12f sized tracks) at 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f & 12f with much less time & rest between races & ran many more career races in faster times at all distances; while ss only won G1 races at 9f to 10f with ped drugs & only on small 8f sized tracks with much more time & rest between races & ran far less career races. Easy Goer was far better & far superior. Period. EG demolished ss when they were forced to run drug-free without any drugs in the only state in the whole country during that era which banned all drugs. EG was the better horse plain & simple. It's the truth based on Harthill's voluntary admission to DRF Hovdey in 01, plus all of the 88-90 DRF Forms; 2012 NY Post article titled "The 11 horses who missed out on Triple Crown at Belmont" found on the web; DRF's Mike Watchmaker, Ed Fountaine & Paul Moran; Wikipedia articles with many reliable sources cited; 2 Claiborne books; NY Law; DRF, Bloodhorse & Thor. Record; & mounds more. 120% Case closed.
@@Yes-xe7ch He was given SPECIAL treatment in NY take him out of NY and you get different results like coming in 2nd and 3RD place..😬
@@traviswest949 Back when you wasnt using the drug excuse like you are now DELMARCLUB1...UHH I mean Travis West...😏
The drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence did awful when forced to run drug-free without any drugs - ss was 0 for 5 when forced to run drug-free without any drugs. The drug-reliant & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-reliant sunday silence did awful when forced to run without his banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill - ss was 0 for 5 when forced to run without his banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill. The drug-dependent & banned illegal criminal vet Alex Harthill-dependent sunday silence did awful on larger tracks with circumferences bigger than 8f - ss was 0 for 5 on larger tracks with circumferences bigger than 8f.