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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Jersey-bred Irish War Cry among early favorites to win Ky. Derby. Fillies by Union Rags among those aimed at Ky. Oaks

Trivia question: When was the last time a New Jersey bred won the Kentucky Derby? Answer: Almost never.

CORRECTION: The filly Regret, bred by Henry Payne Whitney, won the 1915 Kentucky Derby as the favorite in the race; and in 1934 the colt Cavalcade, bred by an Englishman in England and imported in utero to Morristown, N.J.,, where he was foaled, making him a N.J.-bred, won the Derby. He was owned by Isabel Dodge Sloan's Brookmeade Stable in the race, having been bought by her trainer for Sloan at the 1932 Saratoga Sale for $1,200.

IrishWarCry Wood.PMIrish War Cry winning the Wood Memorial - photo by Patricia McQueenIn fact, you might ask, when was the last time a Jersey bred even ran in the Derby? The answer to that is probably very few if any..

But all that may change on May 6 when Irish War Cry goes to the post as one of the favorites in this year’s Derby.

Irish War Cry, who is owned by Isabelle de Tomaso and was foaled at Overbrook Farm in Holbrook, N.J., will not be the only northeast representative in the spotlight during derby week.

Two fillies by Union Rags, who was bred by Phyllis Wyeth of Chadds Ford, Pa., will be running in the Kentucky Oaks on May 5. They are daughters of the Wyeth-bred and owned Union Rags, who was the leading sire of 2-year olds for a while last year.

One, Tequilita, was bred and is owned by Dorothey Matz of Coatesville, Pa.

Irish War Cry, who was also bred by deTomaso, is trained at Fair Hill by Graham Motion.

Irish War Cry won his first race, a Maiden Special Weight at Laurel Park, on Nov. 11, 2016 and has since won three stakes, the Marylander Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 3, the Lambholm South Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 4 and the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 8.

In between, he inexplicably threw in one bad race, the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream on March 4.

Other top favorites to win the Derby are Classic Empire, trained by Mark Casse, who won the Arkansas Derby, and Always Dreaming, trained by Todd Pletcher, who has only started three times but won the Florida Derby at Gulfstream on April 1.

Motion plans to train Irish War Cry, who is the only 3-year-old with three triple digit Brisnet speed figures, up to the Derby at Fair Hill.

In an article in USA Today on April 17, Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia was quoted as saying he thought Classic Empire would be the favorite but that he thought Always Dreaming and Irish War Cry could be co-second choices for the Derby.

Fast and Accurate, a Pa-bred, also has enough points to enter the Derby and owner Kendall E, Hansen has said that, even though he wasn’t nominated for the Derby, he would supplement him. Fast and Accurate won the Starter Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 20 and the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 25.

He was bred by John R, Penn at Heart Hill Farm, owned by George and Lee Herzberger of Cochranton, Pa. Heart Hill Farm is north of Pittsburgh and south of Erie in far northwestern Pennsylvania.

The Union Rags colt, Patch, second in the Louisiana Darby, is 18th on the list of colts with points towards the Derby, and No Dozing, also by Union Rags, who was third in the Lexington Stakes, has points towards the Derby, but not enough to make the field.

 

BAMBI GLACCUM of Unionville, Pa., secretary for horse events at Plantation Field, is a niece of de Tomaso, who is a daughter of Amory L. Haskell.

Haskell was an influential New Jersey horseman who was appointed president and chairman of Monmouth Park Jockey Club in 1945 and guided that organization through its opening in 1946 and continued at the helm until his death on April 12, 1966. Haskell was also a director of the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden in the 50s.

“We were invited to go to the Derby, so we’re going,” said Glaccum.

The entire Glaccum family, Bambi and husband Denis along with their children, son John-Amory Glaccum and his wife Whitney and daughter Elle Glaccum, are going to Louisville for the Derby.

“We’re excited,” said Bambi. “Elle has purchased me a dress, and I’m working on a hat. Everybody is thrilled.”

“Aunt Isabelle is very realistic about the Derby,” said Bambi. “If he wins, great, if not, okay.”

De Tomaso, 86, and her sister Hope Jones, 82, both of whom live in Palm Beach, are also going to the Derby.

For the Kentucky Oaks, May 5 at Churchill Downs, two Union Rags’ fillies, Paradise Woods and Tequilita, are aimed at the race and may be among the favorites.

Paradise Woods, bred in Pennsylvania by Herman Sarkowsky, is owned by Steven Sarkowsky, Martin J. Wygod and Pam Wygod and trained by Richard E. Mandella.

Paradise Woods, who has started three times, finished second in a maiden race, won a maiden race and then won the Santa Anita Oaks by 11 ¾ lengths.

Dorothy Matz’ Tequilita, winner of the G2 Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 4 and second in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on April 1, will be entered in the Oaks.

“We’re planning on running her,” said Matz.

Tequilita, also bred by Matz, is trained by her husband Michael.

The Matz will be accompanied by their two older children, Lucy and Alex, in Louisville, but their two younger children, with school commitments, won’t be going.

There are two other stakes winning fillies by Union Rags, Dancing Rags, who is 33rd on the list of fillies with points towards the Oaks but probably won’t be entered, and Union Strike, winner of the $75,000 Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita on April 9, a sprint race, is not on the list.

The early favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, Unique Bella, bred by Brushwood Farm in Malvern, Pa., was sideline in late March with a shin issue.

On March 28, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Unique Bella would be sidelined for at least 60 days, so she will miss the Oaks.

In February, Unique Bella had been made the even money favorite in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.

Don Alberto Stable’s filly had won the Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita on March 4, shrugging off a challenge by G1 winner Abel Tasman to win by 2 ½ lengths.

By Tapit, Unique Bella is out of Unrivaled Belle, who won the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic in 2010 before being bought by Brushwood Stable at Keeneland in 2011 for $2.8 million.

Unbridled Belle was sold by Brushwood in 2016, again at Keeneland, for $3.8 million, in foal to Tapit.

Unique Bella was sold by Brushwood at the same sale for $400,000 as Mrs. Moran cut way back on her breeding and racing operation.

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