East Avenue Faces Familiar Foes in Matt Winn Stakes
- Kaeli Bartholomew
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
East Avenue was once one of the most highly regarded horses in his crop, and for good reason.
The Brendan Walsh trainee turned heads with dominant performances in his first two starts. He broke his maiden on debut at Keeneland by 8 lengths, then returned to the same track and cruised to a 5 1/4-length victory in the Breeders' Futurity (G1), crossing the wire with his ears pricked. With such an explosive start, East Avenue was quickly named an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
Not only were his races impressive, but his pedigree drew attention as well. The Godolphin homebred is by Medaglia d'Oro out of Dance Music (by Ghostzapper), a half-sister to the inspiring 2023 Horse of the Year, Cody's Wish.
East Avenue was perhaps the most talked about colt heading into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but he stumbled badly at the start and never recovered. He finished 9th in a 10 horse field. That performance ultimately cost him the Eclipse Award for Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, which went instead to the race's winner, Citizen Bull.
East Avenue's supporters expected him to recover from that bad performance next out, but he was second-to-last again as the heavy favorite in the Risen Star (G2). At that point, whether or not the horse would even make it to the Kentucky Derby was in question.
A return to Keeneland for the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), paired with the addition of blinkers, turned things around. East Avenue finished a strong second behind Burnham Square, earning enough points to secure a spot in the "Run for the Roses." He went on to finish ninth in the Kentucky Derby.
Now, East Avenue returns to Churchill Downs for Sunday's Matt Winn Stakes (G3), where he’ll meet several familiar foes also exiting the Derby: Final Gambit, Burnham Square, Coal Battle, and Chunk of Gold. With Luis Saez aboard, East Avenue will look to earn his first victory since October of his two-year-old season.
Will this be his comeback moment?
[Watch: A two-year-old East Avenue wins the Breeders' Futurity (G1)]
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