Finnegans Wake Back to Grass in Eddie Read

After a brief detour to dirt for a run in the Gold Cup (gr. I) June 27 at Santa Anita Park, Finnegans Wake will return to his comfort zone on the Southern California turf for the $400,000 Eddie Read Stakes (gr. IT) July 18.



The 6-year-old horse owned by Donegal Racing and Rockingham Ranch is also returning to the Del Mar grass course that spurred his most recent run of success.



Following a tenth-place finish in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), it was the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (gr. IIT) Nov. 27 at Del Mar that began a three-race graded win streak and a run of five on-the-board graded finishes from Finnegans Wake, capped by a victory in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.



"He definitely likes the Del Mar turf, so we're glad to have him back, and we got (jockey) Victor (Espinoza) back," trainer Peter Miller said. "We're hoping for the best and he'll stay on turf for the foreseeable future."



Espinoza, who had ridden Finnegans Wake in his six previous starts, was aboard upset winner Hard Aces in the Gold Cup, when he rode the rail to victory. Finnegans Wake, with Mike Smith in the irons, was wide for his late move in the 1 1/4-mile dirt test and was 4 1/2 lengths back in fourth, but Miller was still content with that performance.

BALAN: Hard Aces Rides Rail to Win Gold Cup



"He lost a lot of ground, was very wide, and didn't get beat very far," the trainer said. "I thought he did fine."



Finnegans Wake, a son of Powerscourt, will break from the outside in the field of seven and carry high weight of 123 pounds. All others will carry 119.



Also entered in the Eddie Read is speedy Miller trainee Big Cazanova, the winner of the Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar (gr. III) last November, who also set the pace in the Gold Cup before fading to fifth. Miller admitted entering both horses is mutually beneficial.



"They complement each other," Miller said. "One horse that likes to be on the lead and one that likes to be way off the pace. Hopefully they can be a one-two punch."



The other two graded winners in the field, Gabriel Charles and Midnight Storm, have also shown a liking to the seaside turf course. Their lone graded scores both came in the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT), at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Eddie Read. Gabriel Charles, trained by Jeff Mullins, won the 2013 edition of the Del Mar Derby and Midnight Storm, conditioned by Phil D'Amato, took the event in 2014.



Multiple graded stakes-placed Power Ped, allowance/optional claiming winner Twentytwentyvision, and Maltes, a four-time group winner in Brazil, complete the field.