McBurney hopes for a star-struck initiative performance in Sunday’s Irish War Cry Handicap – The Link News

Starstruck Notion will run in the $85,000 War Cry Handicap for Jersey horses at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

OCEANPORT. – Pat McBurney knew early on that Starstruck Notion would be a grass horse. Now that the veteran trainer has had modest success on turf with the 4-year-old gelding, it’s time to find out if he can be a stakes winner on that surface.

That chance comes on Sunday in the $85,000 War Cry Handicap for Jersey-bred horses at Monmouth Park, where ten runners are entered for the one-mile grass race.

Also in the field is He’spuregold, trained by Kelly Breen, who is looking to win the Irish War Cry for the fourth time in a row. The 6-year-old gelding has been New Jersey’s Champion Older Horse for the past two years.

That is, first of all, the problem with Starstruck Notion.

“He has no other conditions for Jersey horse registration and it is the right step now,” said McBurney. “He is a four-year-old who has developed into a big, strong gelding.”

“Let’s see how he does against a horse like He’spuregold and some of the others here.”

Starstruck Notion, bred and owned by Kenneth Garcia, is coming off a handicap win on the turf at Monmouth Park on June 9. The son of Great Notion-Star On Broadway by Sir Cat has 3 from 3 wins on the turf at Monmouth Park and 2 from 2 wins at a mile on the turf.

His only previous attempt at a stakes race was a close second place in the Maryland Million Turf over a mile and a furlong at Laurel Park on October 23 of last year. Overall, Starstruck Notion has three wins and one second place in five career grass races – although McBurney was not able to test him on grass until his sixth race.

“His mother was a turf horse and his sister was a grass horse,” McBurney said. “His foot is so flat that you knew he was definitely going to be a turf horse. And when we tried him on it, he really liked the grass.”

Neutered as a three-year-old, Starstruck Notion ended his 2023 season by finishing second in the Maryland Million Turf. McBurney reclaimed him on April 26 at Tampa Downs, where he finished a grueling eighth in the one-mile and a sixteenth optional claimer on the turf after an early stalking.

“We were going to Tampa to get him race ready so he would be ready for this meet,” McBurney said. “He didn’t run as well as I thought he would. He was pretty tired. But he came back and ran great in his last start at Monmouth Park.”

In addition to He’spuregold, the field includes four horses from trainer Cal Lynch’s stable, the Chuck Spina-trained There Are No Words (runner-up in the Irish War Cry a year ago) and the resurgent One Tim Willard, who has won two in a row. One Time Willard will be competing for trainer Jorge Delgado for the second time after being signed for $50,000.

In addition, Great Navigator is only present on the main route.