Finnegans Wake breaks drought in Arlington Handicap

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Finnegans Wake broke a 14-race losing streak, beating fast-closing Admiral Kitten by a head in a glacially paced running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Arlington Handicap.

Finnegans Wake’s last win had come on June 10, 2012, when he captured a first-level allowance race, but his connections, Donegal Racing and trainer Dale Romans, have kept the faith. This was Finnegans Wake’s ninth straight start in a graded race, and this time he got it done.

“He’s been knocking at the door for so long,” said Jerry Crawford, managing partner for Donegal. “He’s eligible for a non-winners of two-other-than allowance, but we kept giving him a shot.”

On paper, there was no speed in the Arlington Handicap, and in the actual running, there was even less. Avanzare, making his stakes debut, sauntered through opening splits of 26.36, 52.77, and 1:17.64, a crawling pace on a firm turf course, even for a 1 1/4-mile race. The pace was so slow that Finnegans Wake, typically a closer, was pressing the pace in second.

“I was really close to the pace,” said winning jockey Victor Espinoza, riding at Arlington for the first time since 2007. “I wanted to be able to put him in the race.”

Avanzare held his lead until midstretch, but Finnegans Wake steadily wore him down, but no sooner did he hit the front than Admiral Kitten came flying form the back of the pack, his strong kick falling just short of Finnegans Wake.

“There was no pace, but that’s the way he wants to run,” said Admiral Kitten’s rider, Julien Leparoux.

War Dancer, the 9-5 favorite, bobbled at the start, but was in position to win in the homestretch. Still, he couldn’t deliver an adequate kick, checking in a half-length behind Admiral Kitten and a neck in front of Avanzare. Mister Marti Gras and Infinite Magic completed the order of finish.

Finnegans Wake, a 5-year-old son of Powerscourt, paid $13.20 to win and was timed in 2:05.42.