Irish War Cry launches 4-year-old campaign in Hal's Hope

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Irish War Cry announced his presence with authority to the 3-year-old division here last winter with an eye-catching 3 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Holy Bull. Trainer Graham Motion is hopeful Irish War Cry will announce his presence to the handicap division in similar fashion Saturday when he returns to Gulfstream Park to launch his 4-year-old campaign in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope.

Irish War Cry had an up-and-down 3-year-old season, adding a victory in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial and second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes to his huge performance in the Holy Bull. He also disappointed on several occasions, finishing seventh and last as the even-money favorite in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, 10th as the second choice in the Kentucky Derby, and far back behind West Coast in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby.

“The time off has done him good,” said Motion, who trains Irish War Cry for his owner-breeder Isabelle de Tomaso. “I gave him a 45-day break after the Pennsylvania Derby, and he’s come back more grown up, a lot bigger, and a stronger version of what he was last year. He’s been very happy. His works have been super, although he’s always been a good work horse. I’m really excited about starting him back on Saturday.”

Although Irish War Cry campaigned exclusively around two turns at 3, he’ll return at a one-turn mile in the Hal’s Hope.

“With the Triple Crown races and all, you try different things sometimes with a 3-year-old that you might not do otherwise,” Motion said. “I have a gut feeling a one-turn mile might be more his deal and what he might end up doing this year.”

Irish War Cry will have his work cut out coming off the bench in the Hal’s Hope. A small but strong field is expected for the race and is likely to include Economic Model, Malagacy, and Conquest Big E., who exits a troubled trip when a game second behind Tommy Macho in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper.

Motion also said he has chosen the Tampa Bay Derby over the Fountain of Youth here March 3 for Untamed Domain’s main-track debut. Untamed Domain, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, is coming off a third-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Dania Beach here earlier this month.

“I always wanted to try him on dirt and I didn’t think his first start back [after the Breeders’ Cup] was the right time,” Motion said. “Both Florida tracks are speed-favoring, which hurts a little bit. I decided to go to Tampa because I have a division there and it makes it easier for me to ship him down and get a chance to train over the track than if I ran him in the Fountain of Youth.”

Motion said Untamed Domain was scheduled to ship to Tampa on Thursday.