Champion Racehorse Finnegans Wake Finds New Home in Wyoming Amid Horse Racing Boom

Finnegans Wake, a champion thoroughbred racehorse with prestigious bloodlines, has found a new home in Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily reports.

Industry experts predict that he won’t be the last high-profile horse to relocate to the Cowboy State, as Wyoming’s growing horse racing industry continues to attract attention.

The decision to bring Finnegans Wake to Wyoming comes amid significant developments in the state’s horse racing scene. Kentucky Downs’ ECL Entertainment has invested in Wyoming, and a new racing and off-track betting company, Thunder Plains, is building the state’s first mile-long oval track near Cheyenne.

Eddie Rich, a California-based horse trainer and racing steward who owns Finnegans Wake, sees these developments as a sign of Wyoming’s rising prominence in the horse racing world.

“You guys have a one-mile racetrack being built about 10 miles east of Cheyenne pretty soon,” Rich said. “I see a future in racing there, where we don’t have much of a future in Northern California.”

Rich believes that Wyoming’s new track, which can accommodate thoroughbred racing, will be a game-changer for the state.

Frank Lamb, general manager of Wyoming Downs, echoed this optimism, noting the industry buzz at a training facility in Tucson, Arizona.

“They’re getting ready down here, and in May, they’ll load these horses up and head to Wyoming,” Lamb said.

Finnegans Wake’s lineage played a significant role in Rich’s decision to invest in him. The horse is a son of Powerscourt, an Irish champion stallion whose bloodline is now rare in the United States. Rich emphasized the importance of preserving this lineage.

“He has a pedigree that is pretty special,” Rich said. “If he’s not at stud, then the Powerscourt line disappears from America.”

The mare’s sire is Silver Ghost, another distinguished name in thoroughbred racing history. Rich, who has over three decades of horse training experience, saw the potential in Finnegans Wake despite the horse being relatively unknown.

“I’m a bit of a romantic,” Rich admitted. “This might not be the best business decision from a purely economic perspective, but it’s about preserving a special bloodline.”

Wyoming’s horse racing industry is now bolstered by a multi-million-dollar breeding fund that pays out to owners, breeders, and stallion owners for horses bred in the state. Lamb explained that this fund, which has grown from $20,000 to $7 million, is funded through parimutuel betting.

“The payment is broken into three parts: 40% for the horse owner, 40% for the breeder, and 20% for the stallion owner if the horse is standing in Wyoming,” Lamb said.

This attractive incentive is expected to lure more top-quality horses to Wyoming, with Finnegans Wake leading the way.

Rich remains optimistic about the future of horse racing in Wyoming and Finnegans Wake’s potential as a top sire in the state.

“I’m not giving up on Finnegans Wake,” Rich said. “I want to see him succeed or at least have the opportunity.”

Lamb shares this vision, noting that Wyoming is already seeing more special studs like Dennis’ Moment, a horse now based in Cheyenne.