Sunday Silence, Rhythm Top Eclipse Award Voting

Sunday Silence, who won two jewels of the Triple Crown and beat Easy Goer in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, was voted 3-year-old colt of the year in the Eclipse Awards, it was announced Monday.

Sunday Silence, expected to be voted horse of the year, missed winning the Triple Crown when he was beaten by Easy Goer in the Belmont Stakes.

Rhythm, a leading candidate to win the 1990 Kentucky Derby and a stablemate of Easy Goer, was voted champion 2-year-old.

The Ogden Phipps-owned Rhythm beat out Southern California-based Grand Canyon, whom he defeated by two lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 4.

The other equine winners were Go For Wand, 2-year-old filly; Open Mind, 3-year-old filly; Blushing John, older male; Bayakoa, older filly or mare; Steinlen, male turf; Brown Bess, female turf, and Safely Kept, sprinter. Safely Kept is a 3-year-old filly.

The horse of the year and champion jockey and trainer will be announced Jan. 27.

Kent Desormeaux, who rode a record 597 winners in 1989, is the leading candidate for jockey honors. Wayne Lukas and Charlie Whittingham are top contenders for the trainer’s award. Lukas trains Eclipse winners Open Mind, the only horse to repeat as champion, and Steinlen and Grand Canyon. Whittingham trains Sunday Silence.

Whittingham co-owns Sunday Silence with Arthur B. Hancock and Dr. Ernest Gaillard, but Phipps, who also owns Easy Goer, was voted outstanding owner for the second consecutive year. North Ridge Farm was voted outstanding breeder.

Voting was by the racing secretaries of Thoroughbred Racing Assn.’s member tracks, the National Turf Writers’ Assn. and the Daily Racing Form.