Sunday Silence

The dedication ceremony for the Sunday Silence mural, a new equine art installation celebrating the legendary racehorse, is set for Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at 2 p.m. in downtown Paris, Kentucky. The event is free and open to the public. The mural, created by equine artist Jaime Corum, depicts the 1989 Kentucky Derby winner in his iconic victory. The artwork is located on the side of the new Hotel Thoroughbred, set to open in the spring of 2026. The mural is a project of the Legends of Bourbon County non-profit...

A new mural celebrating Sunday Silence will soon adorn downtown Paris, Kentucky, joining the town's growing collection of large-scale public equine art. The mural is a project of the Legends of Bourbon County non-profit organization, in conjunction with Stone Farm, which raised and campaigned the 1989 Horse of the Year. The artwork will depict Sunday Silence's iconic victory in the 1989 Kentucky Derby. It is being painted on the side of Hotel Thoroughbred, a new boutique hotel on Main Street that opens in Spring 2026. Renowned artist Jaime Corum, known...

To the surprise of no one, pride of place in Sunday's G1 Satsuki Sho belongs to the Sunday Silence sire line with eight representatives spread throughout the 18-strong field. The late Shadai Stallion Station luminary's first foals arrived in Japan in 1992, and from that first crop was 1995 Satsuki Sho winner Genuine (Jpn). Six others followed (Ishino Sunday {Jpn}, 1996, Air Shakur {Jpn}, 2000, Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}, 2001, Nishino Sunday {Jpn}, 2003, Daiwa Major {Jpn}, 2004, and Deep Impact {Jpn}, 2005). Sunday Silence saved the best for last, with...

1989 Horse of the Year Sunday Silence (Halo) has been named the 2025 Legend of Bourbon County. The award, given by the Legends of Bourbon County Thoroughbred Fund, will be part of the annual festival held October 11 and 12 in Paris, Kentucky. The festival will feature live entertainment, educational events and farm tours. "We are thrilled to honor Sunday Silence the 2025 Legend of Bourbon County, as well as partner with Stone Farm" said Lauren Biddle, chair of the Legends of Bourbon County Thoroughbred Fund. "His legacy, both as...

After 40 years on the mic, predominantly at Santa Anita and Del Mar, but also for a time as the voice of the Breeders' Cup and Triple Crown races, track announcer Trevor Denman has announced his retirement. "This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made," Denman said. "But my soul is telling me that now is the time." Denman, 72, began calling races in 1971 in his native South Africa and came to America in time to assume racecalling duties at Santa Anita in 1983. At one...

When it comes to Thoroughbreds, Arthur B. Hancock III has courted the bastard. Never much for floating the mainstream, he has celebrated in many a winner's circle, while knowing firsthand how wild oats can almost drown a man in a barrel of despair. If Mr. Hancock had not been an accomplished horseman or musician, he would have made one hell of a history professor. In the aptly-titled, just-published Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption, the author has penned something truly special--a reflection which looks back on a life well-lived. The...

For the past two weeks, we have been telling you how some of racing's biggest names fell in love with the sport. Now it's our turn. Here are some of the stories behind the bylines you see every day in the TDN. Marguerite Henry's King of the Wind was my hook. My dog-eared copy of the acclaimed children's novel about the Godolphin Arabian made my young imagination run wild. As an adult, I can still see Wesley Dennis's vibrant illustrations in my mind's eye. If reading King of the Wind...

HOKKAIDO, Japan--Expectation rather than trepidation. Pre-JRHA Select Sale nerves are different to the ones we go through back in Europe, that's for sure.  A quick scan through the over 500-strong catalogue of foals and yearlings will remind you just how small the world is with many familiar names cropping up on any given page.  However, a morning spent in the company of JRHA chairman and Shadai Farm boss Teruya Yoshida followed by a trip to Northern Farm, which will consign a massive 180 lots at the sale, pegs into light...

"The Breeders' Cup is always very special and to see a young sire like Justify get two Grade I-winning juveniles was fantastic but for me it had to be Auguste Rodin winning the Breeders' Cup Turf. He was in a hopeless position along the rail and had to be exceptional to get up for the victory. He's a colt that could stand anywhere in the world and physically he's quite similar to his grandsire Sunday Silence. It would be great to see him back at the Breeders' Cup this year...

He's 61, hasn't ridden since 2016 and recently had a knee replaced. For most, this would be the time to enjoy retirement and look back on a career that carried him to the heights of his profession. But Pat Valenzuela doesn't see it that way. He's been working horses at Del Mar and Santa Anita, says he feels good and is seriously contemplating making a comeback. "I'm a little heavy now, so I don't know if I'll be able to do the weight," he said. "But I'm sure going to...

ARCADIA, USA -- In case you're wondering, Aidan O'Brien had scrambled eggs for breakfast. That was just after he had watched his squad of ten take a stronger turn around Santa Anita's dirt track and before he had a chance to consider a second course at the lavish buffet by politely stepping outside to answer questions from a few annoying hacks, this one included. Ryan Moore has been aboard Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint contender Cherry Blossom (Ire) (No Nay Never) these last two mornings. "Is that a...

HOKKAIDO, Japan--In the bloodstock world, the battle for succession does not come down to unseemly squabbles in the boardroom. What matters first is what happens on the track, and even when all goes right there, success in the breeding shed is far from guaranteed. Smallish in stature but a Goliath in influence and reputation, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Northern Dancer gave the European breeding industry many stars including, crucially, Sadler's Wells, whose line holds strong predominantly through Galileo (Ire) and his heir apparent, Frankel (GB). Northern Dancer also...