Irish War Cry 'amazing' in final work before Derby

Jockey Rajiv Maragh could hardly contain his enthusiasm for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby after getting the chance to sit on Irish War Cry on Sunday morning.

Maragh guided Irish War Cry through a six-furlong workout timed in 1:13.20 at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland; it was the colt’s one workout between his 3 1/2-length victory in the April 8 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

“The horse worked amazing,” Maragh said as he drove from Maryland to New York to ride at Belmont Park on Sunday. “I’m so excited. This is a serious horse right here.”

Maragh said he experimented in the workout by putting Irish War Cry directly behind Providence Road, a 4-year-old maiden full brother to 2011 Wood winner Toby’s Corner. Maragh said he was quite pleased with how well Irish War Cry handled dirt being kicked back at him.

Irish War Cry won the Holy Bull in front-running fashion. After pressing the pace and fading to seventh in the Fountain of Youth, Irish War Cry won the Wood from an outside stalking position.

“Even though I took him off the pace a little bit in the Wood, I didn’t have him behind a horse, I had him in the clear,” said Maragh, who rode the horse for the first time in a race in the Wood. “So today I wanted to see how he would react if he was behind a horse directly and it just didn’t faze him at all. He went along and did his business. He didn’t react in any ill-mannered way, so it just opens up even more options for me to ride him.”

Maragh said he was full of horse “coming down the lane and galloping out.”

Trainer Graham Motion said he had Irish War Cry’s first quarter in 25.80 seconds and his last eighth in 11.60 seconds. Irish War Cry was edging away from his workmate as they approached the finish line. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.

“He did it nicely, he did what I wanted him to do and he did it the right way and Rajiv was kind of excited about it,” Motion said.

Motion had considered working Irish War Cry by himself. But since he had never done that before, Motion felt the final work before the Derby was not the right time to try.

Maragh had galloped Irish War Cry a few mornings leading up to the Wood and noticed how laid back he was by himself.

“Maybe if he was going to work by himself he might be too laid back, and plus I wouldn’t have got to try to see how he would react behind a horse directly,” Maragh said. “It worked out perfect this morning that he worked with another horse; I got a better feel of him and got to know him better.”

Maragh said he will have plenty to keep him busy this week leading up to the Derby, but it’s getting harder not to think of the possibilities.

“If he stays like this to the race we’re in very good shape,” said Maragh, who will be riding in his fifth Kentucky Derby.

Irish War Cry was scheduled to van from Maryland to Churchill Downs on Monday.