Finnegans Wake Moves to Dirt for Gold Cup

Back in March, trainer Peter Miller didn't want to mess with a good thing when he elected not to run standout grass horse Finnegans Wake against Shared Belief in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I).



"If it's not broke, don't fix it," Miller said of bypassing the Big 'Cap for the San Luis Rey Stakes (gr. IIT), where the 6-year-old horse finished second to Ashleyluvssugar. "We may still try the dirt later on in the year, but right now, we're going to stick with turf."



The conditioner has decided this is the time, because the son of Powerscourt will try dirt for just the fifth time in his career in the $500,000 Gold Cup (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park June 27. The race is a Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In" event for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in the fall.



Owned by Donegal Racing and Rockingham Ranch, Finnegans Wake has four graded grass victories—including the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs May 2—since finishing 10th in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. I) last November, but hasn't run on dirt since moving over to Miller's barn from Dale Romans' care in the summer of 2014. He most recently finished fourth in the Knob Creek Manhattan Stakes (gr. IT) June 6 at Belmont Park.

LAMARRA: Finnegans Wake Flies Home, Takes Turf Classic



In his four dirt starts with Romans, the best finish from Finnegans Wake was a third in the 2012 Gotham Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack. His last dirt try was a sixth-place finish in the Clark Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill in 2013.



"The timing is good, the distance is good, and none of the top horses are in there," Miller said of the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup. "It looks like there'll be plenty of speed in the race, plenty of pace for him to run into. It's the right time to give him a shot. If it works, it opens up a lot of options. If it doesn't work out, we can always go back to grass."



The pace should be guaranteed by stablemate Big Cazanova, one of four Miller-trained horses in the field, along with longshots Poshsky (30-1) and Lideris (50-1). The 6-year-old ridgling set the pace in the Californian Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita May 30, drawing a prodding comment from trainer Eric Guillot, who will send out second-place Californian finisher Moreno again in the Gold Cup.



"Hopefully there's no cheap speed in there," Guillot said of the Gold Cup, after the disappointing Californian result.



"With Big Cazanova in there, there's definitely going to be an honest pace," Miller said.



The pace should benefit Finnegans Wake, the 6-1 co-fourth choice, if he takes to the dirt surface. Miller will also replace regular rider Victor Espinoza, who has guided Finnegans Wake to his last four victories, with Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who has only ridden the horse once. Espinoza finds himself on graded stakes-placed Hard Aces (12-1) in the Gold Cup.



The only other grade I winners in the field of 11 are Moreno and the Bob Baffert-trained Hoppertunity. Both should stalk the pace, although Moreno has shown he has the ability to win on the front.



"I don't worry about everybody else. I just worry about my own and he's doing good," Guillot said of Moreno. "(Big Cazanova) is kinda a run-off, so you've got no choice (but to sit off the lead), unless you want to suicide yourself. If he wasn't in there, I think we'd have the lead."

Although Hoppertunity and Moreno present more back class, both are co-second choice (7-2) to favored Catch a Flight (5-2), the only horse entered with an active win streak.



Not only did the Argentine-bred son of Giant's Causeway   beat Moreno, Hard Aces, Lideris, and Big Cazanova in the Californian last time out, he also defeated fellow Gold Cup entrant Motown Men in the Precisionist Stakes (gr. III) May 2. Prior to those two victories, he was third in the Big 'Cap, a head behind Moreno in his first stakes start in the U.S.



BALAN: Catch a Flight Outduels Moreno in Californian



"He's improved since," said Catch a Flight's trainer, Richard Mandella. "You can just see he's progressed all the way. But now we've got the Gold Cup to look at. He's got all his prep work behind him and it's time to see if he's good enough.



"I think he fits (in grade I competition). He showed it in Santa Anita Handicap. Maybe I was jumping in a little quick, but he did really well."



The only other horses coming off a win in their last start are Motown Men (Tiznow Stakes, May 23) and Majestic City (12-1), who won the May 25 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) for trainer Richard Baltas.

LAMARRA: Majestic City Strong in Lone Star Handicap



Recent allowance/optional claiming winner Batti Man (30-1), who was graded stakes-placed in 2013, rounds out the field.