Trainer Kelly Breen no longer tries to explain the marvel that He’spuregold is. These days, he’s simply enjoying every start by the 7-year-old gelding.

Sunday will be another opportunity to do just that when He’spuregold tries to win the Irish War Cry Handicap for the fifth straight year. The one-mile grass race for Jersey-breds 3 and up has only been run six times.

“I don’t know how he does it,” said Breen. “He’s unique. He’s definitely unique.”

Seven state-breds, including stablemate One Time Willard, will look to end Irish War Cry’s Fourstardave-like streak, but after a solid effort in his seasonal debut in the Cliff Hanger Stakes on May 2 at Monmouth Park Breen says the son of Grade 1 Australian sire Vancouver is ready to take on the challenges.

“He thinks he’s a 3-year-old,” said Breen. “I think the Cliff Hanger (a fourth-place finish) will benefit him. He had a really nice breeze last week and he is sitting on go.

“I think he got enough out of the Cliff Hanger to move forward and he has had enough time between races to move forward. So everything about it from a trainer’s perspective is looking like he will move forward.”

Owned and bred by John Bowers’ Roseland Farm Stable, He’spuregold’s accomplishments have stamped him as one of the top Jersey-breds of all time. He has nine career wins – seven at Monmouth Park – and has banked $636,170.

He was named New Jersey’s champion turf horse in 2021 and was named New Jersey’s top older male horse in 2022 and 2023.

He’spuregold will also be trying for his seventh career stakes win on Sunday, having won five Jersey-bred stakes as well as the Red Bank Stakes against open company last year.

“He’s just a good-looking horse who is nice to be around,” said Breen. “If you were at a sale buying horses you would pick him out. He’s that attractive.

“He’s athletic. He is by no means a thin horse. He’s a robust, good-looking horse with a lot of muscle on him.”

In preparing for the Irish War Cry in the past, Breen would give He’spuregold a race at Gulfstream followed by one at Monmouth Park. That didn’t work out this year, with the Cliff Hanger marking his seasonal debut.

“We had him set for a race at Gulfstream. That’s our usual routine, to give him a race in Florida before he comes to Monmouth Park,” said Breen. “But we had some licensing issues and they wouldn’t let him run at Gulfstream. So we were a little behind with him from where we usually are.

“But the horse doesn’t know it because he was ready to run in Florida.”

As it turns out, Breen also has the runner-up (by a neck) to He’spuregold from last year’s Irish War Cry Handicap in One Time Willard, a $25,000 claim five races ago.

In four starts with Breen, One Time Willard has won twice. The 6-year-old gelding, owned by Kenwood Racing and Breen, has banked $335,094 for his 26-race career.

Both He’spuregold (scheduled to be ridden by Paco Lopez) and One Time Willard (Axel Concepcion) have excelled on the turf.

“He’s doing well. He’s coming into this race off a couple of nice efforts,” Breen said of One Time Willard. “But He’spuregold has the target on his back and he has to run his race. It’s not an easy race.”