Sunday Silence, who rewrote the record books when it came to progeny earnings, topped the Japanese sires lists once again and in the process reached the $500-million mark in career progeny earnings. That's right, a half-
billion dollars that his offspring have earned since 1994.
Sunday Silence bettered his 2003 mark of $77 million with 2004 progeny earnings of $86,154,692, topping the list for the 10th consecutive year. He also led the sires of 2-year-olds list, with $7,425,490.
Trailing Sunday Silence on the general sires list was his son, Dance in the Dark, who checked in with $24,450,288. Closest to him on the 2-year-old list was French Deputy, with $3,109,212. It was French Deputy's first crop of Japanese runners. French Deputy previously stood in the U.S.
Sunday Silence's big horse of 2004 was Zenno Rob Roy, who closed out the season with a victory in the Dec. 26 Arima Memorial (Jpn-I) a month after winning the Japan Cup (Jpn-I). Silence Silence was represented by 37 stakes winners in 2004.
Sunday Silence, North America's Horse of the Year in 1989, stood at the Yoshida family's Shadai Stallion Station prior to his death the summer of 2002. His last crop of foals will race as 2-year-olds in 2005.
Following is a listing of Japan's leading sires of 2004:
General List
1) Sunday Silence (by Halo) $86,154,692
2) Dance in the Dark (Sunday Silence) $24,450,288
3) Brian's Time (Roberto) $20,571,625
4) Fuji Kiseki (Sunday Silence) $17,546,932
5) Sakura Bakushin-Oh (Sakura Yutaka-Oh) $15,149,288
2-Year-Old List
1) Sunday Silence $7,425,490
2) French Deputy (by Deputy Minister) $3,109,212
3) Special Week (Sunday Silence) $2,247,529
4) Meiner Love (Seeking the Gold) $2,218,779
5) Admire Vega (Sunday Silence) $2,009,981
Statistics courtesy of Regent Co.
