Golden Brown can rely on muscle memory in Irish War Cry Stakes

It has been the better part of 32 months since Golden Brown last tried racing in a turf route stakes, and Sunday would be a good time to recall that the gelding is pretty good at it.

Golden Brown is one of nine New Jersey-breds entered in the $85,000 Irish War Cry, a one-mile grass handicap at Monmouth Park, and if the betting public fails to dig deep enough into the 7-year-old gelding’s history, maybe he’ll offer a fair price.

Trained by Patrick McBurney, Golden Brown has proven to be a capable sprinter on both grass and dirt. Last summer at Monmouth he won New Jersey-bred sprints on both surfaces, and in his most recent start, on June 26 at Monmouth, he finished a solid closing sixth facing open competition going 5 1/2 furlongs on grass in the Select Stakes.

But let’s turn back the clock to 2018.

As a 3-year-old that summer, Golden Brown won the Grade 3 Kent Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on the Delaware Park grass course. He held his own in 2018 and 2019 facing graded-stakes company in New York grass races, and during the 2019 Monmouth meet, Golden Brown took care of New Jersey-bred turf-route stakes rivals in both the Irish War Cry and the Dan Horn. In 2020, both those races were rained onto dirt, with Golden Brown still winning the Irish War Cry and finishing second in the Dan Horn.

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Sunday, the gelding seems set up to hit his peak performance level – wherever that is now – making his third start of the season. He carries 123 pounds, giving weight to everyone in the race but his main rival He’spuregold, who will tote 124 pounds.

Four-year-old He’spuregold won the 2021 Irish War Cry under just 116 pounds and no doubt is a win threat Sunday under Paco Lopez. Trained by Kelly Breen, He’spuregold ended his 3-year-old campaign last year running in the same New York graded turf-route stakes as Golden Brown did in 2018, the Saranac and the Hill Prince.

He’spuregold finished a solid fourth in the Saranac and ninth in the Hill Prince, but, like his older rival, seems to be sitting on a winning performance Sunday. Breen got an open turf-route allowance race into his horse on May 29 at Monmouth, his first start of 2022, and He’spuregold, getting a perfect pressing trip, won by one length.

Still, in the Irish War Cry, He’spuregold might be running headlong into a golden oldie named Golden Brown.