Trainer Graham Motion kept looking for reasons to go elsewhere. Irish War Cry kept arguing that the van ride to New York next week was one worth taking.

The latter member of that duo has won out, with the last bit of convincing coming on a picturesque morning at Fair Hill Training Center on June 3. After the multiple graded stakes-winning son of Curlin cooled out following a three-quarter-mile workout in company with stablemate Ascend on Saturday, Motion declared Irish War Cry a probable contender for the June 10 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, pending final approval from owner-breeder Isabelle de Tomaso. And on Sunday, Motion got that approval from de Tomaso, declaring that the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets winner would join what is expected to be at least 11 other contenders for the final jewel of the Triple Crown.

"That's definitely what we intend to do, as long as things go well the next couple of days. She's very much on board with taking a chance," Motion said. "Obviously, we feel like he didn't run his race on Derby day."

Working to the outside of stakes winner Ascend, Irish War Cry clocked the distance in 1:14 flat, his second timed workout since finishing 10th in the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. After watching the chestnut colt flatten out in the lane of the first leg of the Triple Crown, Motion’s gut inclination was to write off the rest of the classics and freshen the New Jersey-bred colt toward a homecoming run in the Haskell Invitational Stakes this summer.

Motion (Eclipse Sportswire)

Reflection and evaluation has swayed the horseman back to the other side of pendulum, however. And as long as Irish War Cry emerges from his workout in good order, Motion feels he would be doing his charge a disservice if he didn’t give him the opportunity to show his best in the 1 ½-mile test.

“Having seen him train, having seen the result of the Preakness, I think we need to take a shot," Motion said. "It’s a classic and, if he’s doing well, I think it’s a shame if he’s sitting in the barn.”

Motion was emboldened to reconsider his initial stance after Cloud Computing, who was a well-beaten third behind Irish War Cry in the Wood Memorial, jumped up to best champion Classic Empire by a head in the Preakness Stakes.

Motion said Irish War Cry will remain at Fair Hill until June 7, where he will train that morning and then van to Belmont Park. The colt has won four of six starts, including a victory in the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes in his season debut.

Pletcher Confirms Patch for Belmont Stakes

Patch (Eclipse Sportswire)

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby runner-up Patch will join stablemate Tapwrit in the June 10 Belmont Stakes after the pair worked five furlongs in company on Friday at Belmont Park.

Patch, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard, worked on the main track inside of Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapwrit, who was ridden by his regular jockey, Jose Ortiz. On even terms throughout, the pair crossed the finish line together in 1:01.45. New York Racing Association clockers caught the pair in :37 for the first three-eighths of a mile. They galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 3/5.

“I was pleased with both of them,” Pletcher said. “I thought they went well. They seemed to get over the main track in good order. [It was a] good, steady, solid five-eighths, with a pretty strong gallop out. I think we accomplished what we were looking for.

“They’ve worked together before. They have similar grinding-type styles and they’re not overzealous workhorses, so they made a good pair.”

The move earned Patch, owned by Calumet Farm, the green light for the 1 1/2-mile classic, Pletcher said after.

“I was happy with the work today,” he said. “I had a quick exchange with the ownership and they’re happy to run. As long as he comes out of it well, I plan to go.”

Exiting a 14th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, the one-eyed colt will be ridden by Velazquez in the Belmont.

“[The Derby was a] tough assignment for him — a lightly raced horse and draws the far outside post,” Pletcher said. “He got a decent trip out of it. I don’t think he relished the sloppy track. [He’s by] Union Rags, a Belmont winner, out of an A.P. Indy mare. There’s a lot of pedigree there to suggest that he’s bred to get the mile and a half, and I think his style should fit the race well.”—BloodHorse Staff

Hollywood Handsome a Go for Belmont

Hollywood Handsome, trained by Dallas Stewart, is also set for the New York classic.

"I'm so excited to get this horse to the Belmont Stakes," Stewart said. "We originally toyed with the idea of keeping him at Churchill prior to the Kentucky Derby to see if we could sneak in with 10 points. We eventually decided to run in the Illinois Derby and forego the Kentucky Derby."

Hollywood Handsome finished fifth in the Illinois Derby but rebounded three weeks later with a narrow allowance victory at Churchill Downs. 

"In hindsight it wouldn't have worked out with the Derby," Stewart said. "I'm glad we got back to the winner's circle the other week in the allowance race."

Jockey Florent Geroux is scheduled to ride the 3-year-old son of Tapizar, who put in his final breeze for the Belmont Friday at Churchill, clipping through five furlongs in 1:00.60.—BloodHorse Staff