He'spuregold goes out for his fourth Irish War Cry victory

Owner Isabelle de Tomaso has four chances Sunday at Monmouth Park to win a race named after her most famous horse, but none of them is He’spuregold, who can win the $85,000 Irish War Cry Handicap for the fourth year in a row.

He’spuregold, fresh off a maiden win, won his first Irish War Cry as a 3-year-old in 2021. A year later, he was an easy repeat winner, his 90 Beyer Speed Figure a career best at the time, and last July, as the 124-pound highweight, He’spuregold was up by three-quarters of a length over There Are No Words, who takes another shot at He’spuregold on Sunday.

The Irish War Cry, for older New Jersey-breds at one mile on turf, drew 11 entrants. Great Navigator entered for the main track only and is a key player if the race rains onto dirt.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

Irish War Cry, a 2014 foal, won the 2017 Wood Memorial, finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby, and was second in the Belmont, all for trainer Graham Motion. Cal Lynch conditions the four de Tomaso-owned horses entered – No Cents, Irish Boolum, Irish Rill, and Go to the Kingdom. No Cents is a dirt horse, while Irish Boolum and Irish Rill so far have been too slow to win this race, but Go to the Kingdom rates an outside chance. Just a 4-year-old with six starts, and only one this year, Go to the Kingdom should continue improving through the summer, but at 119 pounds, he gets only four pounds from He’spuregold, and that’s not enough.

He’spuregold, Paco Lopez riding for trainer Kelly Breen and the Roseland Stable, has lost four in a row since capturing the 2023 Irish War Cry, but none of those starts came in New Jersey-bred competition. A close fourth last out in the $110,000 Cliff Hanger at Monmouth, He’spuregold has gone 4 for 4 in statebred-restricted races and surely will contend in Sunday’s.

There Are No Words probably is his equal. Third in the 2022 Irish War Cry, There Are No Words finished second a year ago after being moved prematurely into a strong pace, taking a stretch-call lead before He’spuregold ran him down. There Are No Words, a 5-year-old trained by Chuck Spina, made his 2024 debut in the Cliff Hanger, setting a slow pace and holding second behind Dataman, who was coming off a Maryland stakes win, while finishing a half-length ahead of He’spuregold. There Are No Words will get first run on He’spuregold but needs a well-timed ride from jockey Jomar Torres.

Starstruck Notion and One Time Willard merit a second look. Starstruck Notion has gone 3 for 3 over the Monmouth grass course, including a last-out first-level allowance score in his first start of the year. As a 4-year-old with only five grass races, he has something better in him for trainer Patrick McBurney.

McBurney used to train One Time Willard, who in February at Tampa Bay was claimed away from him for $50,000 by Lea Farms and trainer Jorge Delgado. Making his first start last month since the claim, One Time Willard won a New Jersey-bred turf allowance by two lengths over Go to the Kingdom, earning a career-best 87 Beyer. Delgado started this meet a solid 4 for 18 and over the last month has caught fire, going 8-7-2 from 21 starters.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.