Irish War Cry seeks return to ’17 form in Hal’s Hope at Gulfstream
Irish War Cry crashed the top echelon of 3-year-olds with a decisive victory in last year’s Holy Bull. He validated it by subsequently taking the Wood Memorial and running second in the Belmont Stakes.
After a couple of dull tries in late summer and fall, he was rested, but he’ll try to establish himself as one of the top older horses in Gulfstream Park’s Grade 3 Hal’s Hope today.
In addition to the layoff, Irish War Cry is turning back to a one-turn mile after a season of two-turn races, but trainer Graham Motion said he has been working up a storm and is ready to go. Eclipse-winning jockey Jose Ortiz has been traveling to Palm Meadows to work Irish War Cry and will be aboard.
Dealing with long layoffs also will also be a factor for a couple of other contenders. Todd Pletcher has entered Send It In, away from the races since April when he ran one of the highest Beyer speed figures of the year, 119, 18 points better than Irish War Cry has ever run. That number should be viewed with caution since it far exceeds any other he has run and was preceded by three sub-100 figures. Also, it was compiled over a mile and a quarter, a distance rarely run at Aqueduct, making comparisons difficult. Johnny Velazquez, who has been in the saddle for Send It In’s two most recent starts, again has the mount.
Chad Brown is bringing back stakes-winning Economic Model off a four-month layoff since winning an optional claiming race at Belmont. Irad Ortiz, Jose’s brother, rides.
Pletcher has a second starter, Malagacy, who returned from a nine-month layoff with a second in an optional claiming race last month. Like Irish War Cry, Malagacy was prominent on the Kentucky Derby trail last year after winning the Rebel Stakes. But after a fifth in the Arkansas Derby he went to the sidelines for the rest of the year. Javier Castellano, the only jockey Malagacy has had, retains the mount.
The most intriguing starter is Tower of Texas, who will be making the 29th start of his career but the first on conventional dirt. He comes into the Hal’s Hope after sandwiching stakes wins on turf in Canada and at the Fair Grounds around a close third in the Handicap.
The rest of the eighthorse field includes Conquest Big E, second in the Fred Hooper on the Pegasus undercard; Quijote, winner of the Sunshine Millions Sprint Preview; and Giuseppe the Great, who adds blinkers in seeking his first stakes win. Tropical Turf