Irish War Cry

Irish War Cry (foaled May 2, 2014 in New Jersey) is a multiple Graded stakes-winning American Thoroughbred racehorse, noted for winning the Wood Memorial Stakes, Pimlico Special Handicap and finishing second in the 2017 Belmont Stakes.

Irish War Cry
Irish War Cry
SireCurlin
GrandsireSmart Strike
DamIrish Sovereign
DamsirePolish Numbers
SexColt
FoaledMay 2, 2014
CountryUnited States
ColorChestnut
BreederIsabelle de Tomaso
OwnerIsabelle de Tomaso
TrainerH. Graham Motion
Record13: 5-2-0
Earnings$1,257,060[1]
Major wins
Holy Bull Stakes (2017)
Wood Memorial (2017)
Pimlico Special (2018)
Triple Crown placing:
2nd, Belmont Stakes (2017)
Last updated on June 11, 2017

Background

Irish War Cry is a chestnut colt with white markings that include a star on his forehead and white socks on three legs. He was bred in New Jersey by Isabelle de Tomaso,[1] daughter of Amory Haskell, founder of the Monmouth Park Racetrack. The colt was foaled at her Overbrook Farm in Colts Neck.[2] His sire is the Hall of Fame champion Curlin, and his dam, Irish Sovereign, was a de Tomaso homebred mare, who won three races in 13 starts.[3]

Racing career

2016: two-year-old season

Irish War Cry raced twice as a two-year-old, winning both his maiden race and the Marylander Stakes at Laurel Park Racecourse.[1]

2017: three-year-old season

Irish War Cry began his three-year-old season in February at Gulfstream Park, where he was ridden by Joel Rosario and won the Holy Bull Stakes by a solid ​3 3⁄4 length margin, defeating challengers Gunnevera and Classic Empire.[4] In his next race, a month later, Gunnevera turned the tables and won the Fountain of Youth Stakes, with Practical Joke second while Irish War Cry tired and finished a distant seventh, 21 lengths behind the winners.[5] He came back in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Race Track, with a new jockey, Rajiv Maragh, winning by ​3 1⁄2 lengths.[6] His inconsistency puzzled pundits, who noted that he ran a 101 Beyer Speed Figure in his first and third races, but only a 63 in the Fountain of Youth.[7] Trainer Graham Motion was relieved by the win, "He had to step up and prove his other races weren’t a fluke."[8]

He qualified for the 2017 Kentucky Derby as the first New Jersey bred horse to enter the race since 1992. The last time a New Jersey horse had won the Derby was Cavalcade in 1934, when the 86-year-old de Tomaso was a child. The colt's success was viewed as a good omen for the beleaguered horse racing industry in his home state, but fans were disappointed that he was given the number 17 post, a position from which no horse has ever won the Derby. However, the draw did not bother Motion, who quipped, "Someone’s going to win from the 17 hole one day."[2] He went off as the second betting choice just behind the favorite and eventual winner Always Dreaming. He had a poor start, where he ducked to the inside and caused difficulties for other horses, but at one point challenged for the lead before he faded in the stretch and finished 10th.[9]

After the Derby, Motion announced his intention to bypass the remaining Triple Crown races and instead focus on New Jersey's most prestigious race, the Haskell Invitational in late July. However, Irish War Cry was training so well that Motion decided to enter him in the 2017 Belmont Stakes on June 10.[10] When several top contenders missed the Belmont, Irish War Cry became the favorite for the race with Tapwrit as the second choice.[11] In the absence of any true speed horses to set the pace, Irish War Cry went to the lead and set a moderate pace. Rounding the turn into the stretch, Irish War Cry opened up a lead before Tapwrit responded. As the gap between the two narrowed, Tapwrit started bearing out to the center of the track before drifting back towards the rail, where he bumped lightly with Irish War Cry. In the final strides, Tapwrit began to pull away and ultimately won by two lengths.[12][13]

"We were hoping for a stalking trip," said Motion. "We were hoping that somebody else would go for it. We were forced to go to Plan B. Turning for home, I thought we just might have it. But it's a long way home."[14]

"He ran a real good race; he tried hard to the end," said jockey Rajiv Maragh. "When I (entered the stretch), I had horse left and I knew it was going to take a really big run from another hose to catch me. I was pretty confident turning for home. I saw the other horse coming and obviously a race of this magnitude I'm going to ride hard to the wire, and even when I was ahead you know they're going to be coming at you, but my horse never really gave up. He ran hard to the end he just got a little bit overpowered late in the race, but I'm proud of his effort."[13]

Race record
Date Track Race Grade Field Distance Finish Odds Margin Time ref
11/11/2016 Laurel Park Maiden Special Weight Maiden 12 6 furlongs 1 8.40 4-1/2 lengths 1:10.62 [15]
12/31/2016 Laurel Park Marylander Stakes listed 5 7 furlongs 1 0.30 Nose 1:22.71 [16]
2/4/2017 Gulfstream Park Holy Bull Stakes II 7 8 furlongs 1 2.95 ​3 3⁄4 lengths 1:42.52 [4]
3/4/2017 Gulfstream Park Fountain of Youth Stakes II 10 ​1 1⁄16 miles 7 1.10 ​21 3⁄4 lengths 1:44.25 [5]
4/8/2017 Aqueduct Racetrack Wood Memorial II 8 ​1 1⁄8 miles 1 3.50 ​5 3⁄4 lengths 1:50.91 [6]
5/6/2017 Churchill Downs 2017 Kentucky Derby I 20 ​1 1⁄4 miles 10 4.80 (​16 1⁄2 lengths) 2:03.59 [9]
6/10/2017 Belmont Park 2017 Belmont Stakes I 11 ​1 1⁄2 miles 2 4.75 (2 lengths) 2:30.02 [12]
7/30/2017 Monmouth Park Haskell Invitational Stakes I 7 ​1 1⁄8 miles 4 2.30 ​5 1⁄4 lengths 1:48.35
9/23/2017 Parx Racing Pennsylvania Derby I 10 ​1 1⁄8 miles 8 6.10 ​14 1⁄4 lengths 1:49.91
2/24/2018 Gulfstream Park Hal's Hope Stakes III 7 1 Mile 2 1.80 ​1 3⁄4 lengths 1:36.50
3/31/2018 Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Handicap II 6 1 Mile 6 1.90 ​29 2⁄4 lengths 1:35.92

Retirement

Irish War Cry was retired from racing in September 2018. It was reported that he would stand as a breeding stallion at Northview Stallion Station in Maryland.[17]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Irish War Cry, chestnut colt, 2014[18]
Sire
Curlin
2004		 Smart Strike
1992		 Mr. Prospector Raise a Native
Gold Digger
Classy 'n Smart Smarten
No Class
Sheriff's Deputy
1994		 Deputy Minister Vice Regent
Mint Copy
Barbarika Bates Motel
War Exchange
Dam
Irish Sovereign
2000		 Polish Numbers
1987		 Danzig Northern Dancer
Pas de Nom
Numbered Account Buckpasser
Intriguing
Irish Genius
1993		 Beau Genius Bold Ruckus
Royal Colleen
Irish Trip (GB) Saint Crespin III
Tabebuia (family: 14-c)

Irish War Cry is inbred 5 × 4 to Northern Dancer, meaning Northern Dancer appears once in the fourth and fifth generations of the pedigree.

gollark: Er, more infectious.
gollark: Hopefully a way to OBLITERATE evil prions will be developed before someone somehow engineers an infectious prion disease of some sort.
gollark: Probably.
gollark: At least they're not very transmissible!
gollark: I... guess you could say that, but probably not.

References
  1. "Irish War Cry Profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  2. Edelson, Stephen (May 4, 2017). "NJ-bred Irish War Cry poised for historic Kentucky Derby". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  3. "Irish Sovereign Profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  4. "Gulfstream Park February 4, 2017 - Race 12". Equibase. February 4, 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  5. "Gulfstream Park - March 4, 2017 - Race 13". Equibase. March 4, 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  6. "Aqueduct April 8, 2017 - Race 10". Equibase. April 8, 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  7. Watchmaker, Mike (April 9, 2017). "Watchmaker: Can Irish War Cry fire big back to back?". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  8. Gray, Ed (May 6, 2017). "Irish War Cry takes aim at the Kentucky Derby". Boston Herald. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  9. "CHURCHILL DOWNS - May 6, 2017 - Race 12" (PDF). Equibase. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  10. Izenberg, Jerry. "N.J.'s Irish War Cry was a mess in the Kentucky Derby, so why is he running in the Belmont Stakes?". NJ.com. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  11. Greenberg, Neil. "Analysis | 2017 Belmont Stakes field, updated odds and picks: Epicharis scratched Saturday morning". Washington Post. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  12. "Chart of the Belmont Stakes" (PDF). Equibase. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  13. "$1.2 Million Gamble Pays Off As Tapwrit Captures Belmont Stakes". www.paulickreport.com. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  14. Izenberg, Jerry. "In Belmont Stakes, Tapwrit proves who's the real stud". NJ.com. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  15. "Equibase | Charts". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  16. "Laurel Park December 31, 2016 - Race 4". Equibase. December 31, 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  17. "Irish War Cry Retired, Will Stand in Maryland in 2019". The Blood-Horse.
  18. "Irish War Cry". Equineline. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
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