Finley has rooting interest on two fronts

ARCADIA, Calif. – When Twilight Eclipse starts in the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita next Saturday, he will be part of a unique sporting week for Terry Finley, the president of the West Point Thoroughbreds, which owns the gelding.

Sunday afternoon, Finley will be at the StubHub Center stadium in Southern California to watch his 23-year-old son Ryan play forward for Chivas USA versus the San Jose Earthquakes in the regular-season finale of Major League Soccer.

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The rest of the week will be devoted to racing, and hoping that Twilight Eclipse can improve on his sixth-place finish in the 2013 BC Turf here. Twilight Eclipse is expected to favor the firm turf condition at Santa Anita.

“We know he loves a hard, firm racetrack,” Finley said.

A 5-year-old trained by Tom Albertrani, Twilight Eclipse has one win in six starts this year, taking the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February. Twilight Eclipse was 12th of 15 in the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse last March, a loss that left Finley and his team confused.

“We were scratching our heads,” he said. “He didn’t fire against those horses. We thought he handled the trip okay.”

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Since returning to the United States, Twilight Eclipse has made four starts, losing three times to Main Sequence, who will be among the favorites in the Turf. Twilight Eclipse was second to Main Sequence in the United Nations at Monmouth Park and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont, losing both races by a neck, and was third by three-quarters of a length in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga.

Finley is encouraged is how close Twilight Eclipse has been to Main Sequence. Still, Twilight Eclipse must be at his best to beat not only Main Sequence but European invaders such as Flintshire, Magician, and Telescope.

Finley’s hope is that Twilight Eclipse can upset the Breeders’ Cup Turf and his son can score his fifth goal of 2014 on Sunday.

“The really cool thing is we get a chance to spend a week together,” he said.