Irish War Cry

Irish War Cry won his first two starts in Maryland, including a hard-fought victory by a nose in the Marylander Stakes.

Trainer Graham Motion tested him next in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes against 2016 champion 2-year-old male Classic Empire and Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes victor Gunnevera. Irish War Cry set the pace in the Holy Bull and blew away the competition with a 3 3/4-length win that stamped him a legitimate contender for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands.

After a head-scratching seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, in which Irish War Cry was beaten by more than 21 lengths, he bounced back in a big way with a convincing 3 1/2-length victory in the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets to punch his ticket to the Kenttucky Derby.

In the Kentucky Derby, Irish War Cry was in stalking position in third on the final turn but came up empty and faded to 10th in the 20-horse field. He bounced nack nicely in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets when he took the lead into the stretch before giving way grudgingly to winner Tapwrit in the final furlong. Irish War Cry finished second, well clear of third-place finisher Patch.

Irish War Cry is owned and bred by Isabelle de Tomaso. De Tomaso grew up riding horses and was a race car driver in the 1950s. De Tomaso is a daughter of Amory L. Haskell, for whom the Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park is named. De Tomaso bred Irish War Cry’s dam (mother), Irish Sovereign; grandam (maternal grandmother), Irish Genius; and third dam (maternal great-grandmother), Irish Trip, a stakes winner in Italy.

Given his connections, Irish War Cry’s start in the July 30 Grade 1 betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes had added emotional significance. Under regular rider Rajiv Maragh, Irish War Cry was in contention for the first mile but flattened out in the stretch to finish fourth.

Irish War Cry finished eighth in the Pennsylvania Derby, his final start at 3. He was kept in training and returned in 2018 with a runner-up effort to Economic Model in the Hal’s Hope Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February before disappointing in the Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile.

After shipping back north to Motion's home base of Fair Hill in Maryland, Irish War Cry won a jsloppy edition of the Grade 3 Pimlico Special impressively on the Black-Eyed Susan undercard.