Irish War Cry returns to Triple Crown as 7-2 Belmont favorite

Irish War Cry returns to Triple Crown as 7-2 Belmont favorite

NEW YORK — Irish War Cry is back on the Triple Crown trail as the 7-2 favorite for the Belmont Stakes.

The colt claimed that status after expected favorite Classic Empire was forced out Wednesday because of an abscess in his right front hoof.

No one was more surprised at the turn of events than Irish War Cry’s trainer, Graham Motion.

Classic Empire was coming off a runner-up finish in the Preakness on May 20 after being fourth in the Kentucky Derby.

The wide-open field features a mix of horses that ran in one or both of those races and others new to the Triple Crown series.

Motion is hoping Irish War Cry will bounce back the way he did from a similarly puzzling seventh-place result in the Fountain of Youth to win the Wood Memorial in April.

[...] did 86-year-old owner Isabelle de Tomaso, who has her first Belmont starter since she started owning thoroughbreds in 2003.

Epicharis is eligible for a $1 million bonus from the New York Racing Association if he wins the Belmont.