Sunday Silence Will Start Belmont Beside Easy Goer

Sunday Silence, winner of the first two legs of the Triple Crown, drew Gate 6 today for the Belmont Stakes and will start alongside top challenger Easy Goer in Gate 7.

Sunday Silence is trying to become only the 12th horse to win all three classic races of the U.S. horse racing season and the first since Affirmed in 1978.

Ten horses were entered today for Saturday’s 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes. Besides Sunday Silence and Easy Goer, they were Easy Goer’s stablemate Awe Inspiring, Hawkster, Irish Actor, Triple Buck, Rock Point, and three Triple Crown newcomers--Imbibe, Fire Maker and Le Voyageur.

Each 3-year-old will carry 126 pounds, and if all 10 go to post, the race will be worth $689,200 with $413,520 going to the winner. Sunday Silence also stands to claim a $5-million bonus, which includes the purses of all three races, if he wins the Triple Crown.

The early line had Sunday Silence rated at even money, while the Easy Goer-Awe Inspiring entry was 6-5. Imbibe and Rock Point each were listed at 12-1, the third choice.

Besides the possibility of being shortchanged by bettors, Sunday Silence has some other numbers going against him as goes for the Triple Crown.

No horse has ever won the Triple Crown without going off the favorite in at least one of the three races. Assault came closest, winning the Triple Crown in 1946 while going off as the favorite only in the Preakness.

Also, the Triple Crown has never been won from a field of more than eight in the Belmont. Seattle Slew in 1977 and Citation in 1948 each faced seven challengers, while Secretariat in 1973 and Affirmed faced only four.

Sunday Silence’s 76-year-old trainer, Charlie Wittingham, said he wasn’t surprised by the size of the field. “There are more horses now than there ever have been,” he said, “and maybe people figure the top two will fall down.”

Easy Goer faces the prospect of becoming only the second horse to finish second in all three races. The first was his father Alydar, who lost to Affirmed in the 1978 season.

BELMONT STAKES FIELD

Post time for the Belmont Stakes, third leg of the Triple Crown, is Saturday at 2:30 p.m. PST. Ten horses carrying 126 pounds will run for 1 1/2 miles for a share of the $689,200 purse. The entires:

Horse Jockey Odds Trainer 1. Irish Actor Maple 25-1 LeRoy Jolley 2. Imbibe Cordero 12-1 Tim Kelly 3. Triple Buck Santos 15-1 John Lenzini Jr. 4. Hawkster Castaneda 30-1 Ron McAnally 5. Rock Point Antley 12-1 Sid Watters 6. Sunday Silence Valenzuela Even C. Whittingham 7. Easy Goer Day 6-5 Shug McGaughey 8. Le Voyageur Romero 50-1 Patrick Cohen 9. Awe Inspiring Perret 6-5 Shug McGaughey 10. Fire Maker Bailey 20-1 Wm. Badgett Jr.

Horse Owner 1. Irish Actor Kalarikkal Jayaraman 2. Imbibe Rosylyn Farm 3. Triple Buck Gary Marano 4. Hawkster J.S. Meredith 5. Rock Point George Cheston 6. Sunday Silence C. Whittingham / Dr. Ernest Gaillard 7. Easy Goer Ogden Phipps 8. Le Voyageur Calumet Farm 9. Awe Inspiring Ogden Phipps 10. Fire Maker Arthur Appleton