First Irish War Cry foal arrives

by Press Release | Feb 15, 2020 | Breaking, Breeding, Maryland, MD Breeding

Irish War Cry cruised to win the 2018 Grade 3 Pimlico Special. Photo by Dottie Miller.

The first foal for classic-placed Irish War Cry was born the evening of Feb. 12 at Blackstone Farm in Pine Grove, Pa., when the Cape Cross (Ire) mare Danu (Ire) delivered a chestnut colt.

“From all reports he’s a big-boned, strapping colt,” said Martin Somers of High Kings Racing, who purchased Danu as a yearling in 2015. “This is our first time breeding and we were delighted that we could breed to such a stallion like Irish War Cry.”

One of the most dynamic runners of his generation, Irish War Cry retired to Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md., after a career in which he won four stakes and $1,257,060 while racing from 2 to 4 for his breeder Isabelle de Tomaso.

The son of leading sire Curlin entered his 3-year-old season as one of the top prospects for the 2017 classics. A stakes winner at 2, he captured Gulfstream Park’s Holy Bull Stakes-G2 in his first start at 3. Trained by H. Graham Motion, he followed with a smart, three and a half-length score in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial-G2. Sent off as second choice in the Kentucky Derby-G1, he contested the pace before weakening in the stretch. He arrived in New York as the favorite in the Belmont Stakes-G1, led the majority of the mile and a half classic, battled gamely with Tapwrit to the wire and finished second. At 4, he added a victory in the historic Pimlico Special-G3. In 13 career starts, Irish War Cry finished first or second seven times, six in stakes.

Out of the Polish Numbers mare Irish Sovereign, Irish War Cry is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Irish Strait, stakes-placed Irish Politics and to the dam of 2019 stakes winners Irish Mias and Regally Irish.

Irish War Cry covered 83 mares his first season. The syndicated 6-year-old stallion stands his second season for $6,500 live foal, payable when the foal stands and nurses.