Well-known New Jersey breeder John Bowers Jr. enjoyed the gift that keeps on giving July 6 when his homebred He'spuregold captured the Irish War Cry Handicap for a fifth consecutive year over the turf at Monmouth Park. The gelding's dominance in that test, combined with his other state-bred accolades, has made the son of Vancouver one of the most storied runners to come out of the Garden State.
He'spuregold came into the Irish War Cry on a three-race losing streak, having not prevailed since taking the 2024 Red Bank Stakes. He entered off a flat seasonal debut in the Cliff Hanger Stakes May 24 at Monmouth, where he ran fourth for trainer Kelly Breen, but the hard-knocking gelding proved to have another win left in him.
Breen told Monmouth Park publicity after the win: "He's really just a nice horse. I can't say that enough. He's such a pleasure to be around and he tries so hard. You start to run out of things to say about him."
The gutsy 7-year-old gelding is out of the graded stakes-winning Smart Strike mare Smart N Classy, who was also bred by Bowers. She earned $466,209 in her four-year career and has a stakes race named in her honor at Monmouth. Her daughter Stay Smart, who was bred and owned by Bowers and Edward Rosen, won the race named for her dam in 2020.
He'spuregold comes from a female family that Bowers built up, going back four generations to his homebred mare Dancing Teddy, the great granddam of Smart N Classy.
He'spuregold now has 10 wins from 32 starts and career earnings of $687,170.
Bowers and his wife established Roseland Farm Stable in 1974. Since then, Bowers has won the Breeder of the Year in New Jersey twice—2020 and 2021. Last year, he was honored with the Virgil "Buddy" Raines Distinguished Achievement Award, which recognizes men and women who have demonstrated a continuing commitment to the sport of Thoroughbred racing as an owner, trainer, or administrator, and whose conduct has been exemplary for professionalism, integrity, and service to the sport.
His program has produced many prominent New Jersey-breds over the years. In addition to Smart N Classy and He'spuregold, who was named New Jersey's champion turf horse in 2021 and top older male horse in 2022-23, Bowers also bred 2020 champion New Jersey-bred 2-year-old male Pickin' Time, winner of the 2020 Nashua Stakes (G3), New Jersey's 2021 champion sprinter and champion older male Royal Urn, and multiple stakes winner Thistyranthasclass.
