Galloping Back in Time: The Biggest Horse Racing Moments of the 1980s

Racing was just better in the 80s. It’s not exactly that the horses have changed. They’re still just as fixated on eating grass and running fast as ever. It’s that the sport is different. Once a major mainstay of American culture, racing has been on a steady decline for the last fifty years.

Viewership numbers have declined by as much as 30% in the twenty-first century. Local race tracks are shuttering all over the country. The sport just isn’t what it used to be.

Good racing moments are still happening all the time. Regardless, the '80s era just hits a little different. Let’s venture back to an era of racing that was less saturated with Instagram, AI, and screen time.

1989 Belmont Stakes

The 1989 Belmont Stakes was a sort of grudge match of sorts. It’s safe to bet that Easy Goer and Sunday Silence were not aware that they were engaged in a bitter rivalry. The rest of us were quite acquainted with that notion.

Sunday Silence had already picked up a few good wins at the Derby and the Preakness, edging out Easy Goer both times to claim the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Second-place finishes were in Easy Goer’s bloodline. The son of Alydar, a horse famous for finishing second in all three Triple Crown Races, it looked like Easy Goer was born to be the bridesmaid.

But no. In 1989, Easy Goer beat Sunday Silence by a decisive eight lengths to take home the win.

1980 Kentucky Derby

In 1980 a minor but interesting milestone was achieved at the Kentucky Derby. Genuine Risk became the first filly to win a Triple Crown event since 1915. If you aren’t a horsebreed nerd, that’s ok. You can still appreciate the excitement of the event itself.

Genuine Risk took home the Derby in a hotly contested race that certainly justified the event’s slogan: The most exciting two minutes in sports.

Genuine Risk was also involved in one of the most controversial races in the sport’s history. At Preakness Stakes, a competing jockey infamously whipped Genuine Risk in the face multiple times without getting disqualified. That jockey, Angel Cordero Junior, would go on to win, but at what cost? Nearly fifty years later, we are still talking about him. And not as fans.  

Nonetheless he put his name in this list: https://www.twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/winners/ 

1989 Preakness Stakes

Alex Lacarcy, writing for ABC Sports, described the 1989 Preakness Stakes as “Not unlike a motion picture.” Which is almost a strong language! The event was exciting. Sunday Silence and Easy Goer, at it again.

Despite having already won the Kentucky Derby, not much was expected of Sunday Silence. The horse’s owner, Arthur Hancock III explained it like this: "It was somewhat frustrating for us. We weren't getting any respect despite winning the Derby. A lot of people thought it was kind of a fluke."

Easy Goer entered the race favored to win. We know now, of course, that it would have its moment, but not at Preakness.

Even Hancock wasn’t very confident. “Easy Goer was a magnificent horse, and something like 97 out of 100 sportswriters predicted that he was going to win. That didn't do much for my confidence level."

It turns out there was no reason to worry. Despite going into the event with some discomfort and swelling, Sunday Silence pulled out the win. And though we know that Easy Goer would ultimately keep it from winning the Triple Crown, Sunday Silence is still remembered as one of the best horses of the 1980s.

Is Sports Nostalgia Silly?

Well, is it? So many of us sporting fans look back fondly at games we continue to tune into every day. Basketball fans remember the Michael Jordan era with such intense fondness that modern ballers could never hope to compare.

Golf fans know that Tiger’s 2000 run will never be surpassed. Baseball fans long for the vintage Yankees.

Is there something naturally silly and self-defeating about only looking back? Of course, there is. New stars are born all the time. When we look back at sporting events of the past, we aren’t just admiring the game. We are remembering who we were at the time.

Maybe you grew up in the 80s and you miss that feeling of relaxed responsibility only possible for a teenager or young adult. Maybe you are just nostalgic for any era that predates cell phones. Understandable.

Racing is different now. It’s still great. Need proof? The Kentucky Derby will soon be upon us. You’ll see racing at its very best during the most exciting two minutes in sports this year. Place a  bet. Pour yourself a mint julep. Watching knowing that maybe fifteen years down the line, you’ll be feeling nostalgic for the exact moment you have in your hands right now.