There Are No Words returns to statebred company in Irish War Cry
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There Are No Words has made the most of a star-crossed career, winning 4 of 30 starts with 10 runner-up finishes while consistently competing against high-level stakes contenders on turf. But in his second start as a 7-year-old, he could get a true chance to shine in the $75,000 Irish War Cry Handicap on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Trainer Chuck Spina’s confidence is so strong that his greatest concern is the surface. With light rain in the forecast Saturday, the trainer said anything but firm turf would be enough to derail his gelding, who should be the pacesetter in the field of 10 New Jersey-breds entered to run on the grass.
“This is the softest stakes he’s ever been in, but he needs firm turf,” Spina said. “If the weather is a little rainy and it’s soft or even good, that’s not his thing, but he’s run against the best turf horses in the Northeast in open company. This is just Jersey-breds, and I think he lays over the field if it’s firm turf.”
In his return to action May 30 at Monmouth, the front-runner took a 4 1/2-length early lead in the $100,000 Cliff Hanger, bursting ahead in a manner that his trainer deemed irresponsible. He ultimately faded to fifth behind graded stakes winner Neat.
Though he might be winless since October 2023, There Are No Words showed plenty of form in five starts last year, finishing in the money four times, including runner-up stakes finishes behind Air Recruit and next-out graded stakes winner Cugino. His competition will not be nearly as stiff in statebred company at a familiar mile on Saturday.
Spina also entered Happy Offering, who will go off as a longshot switching from dirt to turf. The gelding won a statebred allowance at Monmouth last month but has not run on turf since October, when he was still developing as a 3-year-old maiden.
“I definitely think he could get a check in there, and that’s what I was looking for,” Spina said. “He won the [first-level] allowance condition against the Jersey-breds, and this would be a good spot for him. On his best day, he’s not going to beat There Are No Words, but he could get a nice piece of it.”
Three horses will switch from dirt to turf after running in the $75,000 John J. Reilly Handicap on June 7 at Monmouth, most notably Great Navigator, who finished a distant third in that race. The Eddie Owens trainee has regressed in four straight starts since winning the $100,000 New Jersey Breeders Handicap last August.
Gold Trust will return to statebred company after a pair of dull allowance efforts at Laurel Park and Saratoga to begin his 5-year-old campaign. The gelding won the $85,000 Joey P. Handicap for trainer Mike Dini in September.
Frankie G, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Russell Cash, outran his 69-1 odds last time out to finish fifth by 1 1/2 lengths in a first-level allowance at Monmouth. He could be a natural challenger to There Are No Words on the front end.
Forever Chocolate, Gaelicheartofgold, I Can Explain, and Fully Committed are entered for the main track only, stretching the total field size to 14.
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