Finnegans Wake doubles up in San Gabriel

Finnegans Wake has run himself into consideration for the Big ‘Cap or a trip to Dubai (Benoit Photos) Donegal Racing and Rockingham Ranch’s Finnegans Wake might have been thought to have three strikes against him going into Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,750 San Gabriel at Santa Anita. The six-year-old veteran, who was last seen landing the November 27 Hollywood Turf Cup, had never won two races in a row in his career. Proficient at longer distances, he had questions to answer shortening up to 1 1/8 miles here. And to top it all off, the closer figured to have little in the way of pace help. But Finnegans Wake brushed aside all quibbles with a decisive rally at odds of 8-1 and paid $18. A half-brother to Donegal’s promising sophomore filly Puca, Finnegans Wake has found new life since transferring to Southern California this fall. He was runner-up in his first try for the Peter Miller barn in the September 28 John Henry Turf Championship, and not disgraced when 10th in the November 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, prior to his Turf Cup score at Del Mar. Finnegans Wake was allowed to lope at the rear of the San Gabriel field by Victor Espinoza. Meanwhile, Edge of Reality was setting a tepid pace of :24 3/5, :48 4/5 and 1:12 2/5, accompanied by Skyring, with 8-5 favorite Tom’s Tribute stalking wider out. Tom’s Tribute tried to lift his game turning for home, but didn’t find much. Dynamic Sky, in contrast, was full of run on the inside, but never got through.

Instead, Finnegans Wake picked up strongest of all down the lane and
negotiated 1 1/8 firm-turf miles in 1:48 1/5. Patrioticandproud, beaten a neck
by Finnegans Wake when runner-up in the Hollywood Turf Cup, played second fiddle
again, this time by a length.

“I thought today was going to be too short for him, but obviously it wasn’t.
He’s getting good,” Espinoza summed up. “I had to ask him early because he’s big
and he doesn’t have a ton of speed. He took a little while, but it worked out
well.”

“I was concerned this might be a little short — he just won at a mile and a
half,” Miller said. “But when I looked at his form, he had won at a mile and an
eighth before. He’s just such a neat horse. He’s a stud but he’s just the
coolest guy to be around.

“He eats well and he’s been training really well, so I felt like he would run
his race. Whether he could get up going a mile and an eighth was the big
question, but Victor (Espinoza) gave him a super ride.

Power Ped, who is by Finnegans Wake’s sire Powerscourt, came next to give the
stallion a first and third. Tom’s Tribute was a one-paced fourth, followed by
Skyring, the unlucky Dynamic Sky, Big Bane Theory and Edge of Reality.
Persuasive Paul, a projected pace factor, was scratched.

Finnegans Wake’s resume now reads 26-5-3-3, $945,375. Formerly trained by
Dale Romans, the bay placed in the 2012 Secretariat, Virginia Derby and Gotham
as well as the 2013 Bowling Green. He earned his first stakes win in the July 12
Arlington Handicap. Rockingham Ranch bought an interest after his fifth in the
August 16 Arlington Million, and his California migration ensued.

“We’ll look at all our options, including maybe even Dubai,” Miller said.
“The horse trains well on dirt and he ran well in the Clark (sixth in 2013), so
perhaps even the Santa Anita Handicap (March 7). I don’t know. I’ve got to get
with the owners, enjoy this for now, and maybe next week set up a game plan.”

Bred by Donegal’s Jerry Crawford in Kentucky, Finnegans Wake is out of the
stakes-placed Silver Ghost mare Boat’s Ghost.

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