East Avenue

East Avenue made a flashy career debut Aug. 24 at Ellis Park, where he led from start to finish in an eight-length runaway victory for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The Medaglia d’Oro colt next faced a massive class test in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity Oct. 5 at Keeneland and he aced the exam, setting the pace again and pulling well clear in the stretch to win by 5 1/4 lengths under Tyler Gaffalione.

East Avenue stumbled badly at the start of the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Nov. 1 at Del Mar, where he was never a factor and finished ninth of 10. Nevertheless, he remained high on many Kentucky Derby polls and in future-book pools through the early winter months in anticipation for his 3-year-old return.

That came Feb. 15 in the Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, East Avenue did not secure the early lead, and tracked pacesetting Magnitude early and into the backstretch. He began to fall back in the far turn of the 1 1/8-mile race and finished and finished 10^th of 12 in a disappointing performance.

Following the Risen Star, East Avenue resumed training and reeled off a string of good workouts at Fair Grounds and then back in Kentucky. He was entered in a competitive renewal of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, postponed to April 8 at Keeneland, and reunited with jockey Luan Machado for the 1 1/8-mile race. Machado had ridden the colt in his Ellis Park debut win before Tyler Gaffalione took over for three starts, and he regained the mount while Gaffalione recovered from an ankle injury.

In the Blue Grass, Machado sent East Avenue straight to the early lead and the cold opened up on the field by three lengths after a half-mile while setting a solid but comfortable pace. After repelling a challenge from Owen Almighty in early stretch, East Avenue appeared set for a resounding return to form, but he was edged at the finish by a rallying Burnham Square and had to settle for second by a nose. Still, East Avenue earned 50 points for his runner-up finish, enough to place him 13^th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

East Avenue was projected to be part of the pace in the 151^st Kentucky Derby, but he settled off of the leaders and never threatened while finishing eighth of 19. In his next start, he found far more favorable race conditions when contesting the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes June 8 at Churchill Downs. The field was reduced to four total horses after three withdrawals, and without any other speed in the race, first-time jockey Luis Saez was able to settle East Avenue in a comfortable rhythm. The colt had plenty left in reserve to hold off an inside rally from familiar foe Burnham Square and win the 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn by a half-length.

East Avenue was produced by the Ghostzapper mare Dance Music, a half-sister to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish and multiple graded stakes winner Endorsed.