East Avenue Sharp in Front-Running Matt Winn Victory

June 8th, 2025 by Sean Collins

Content provided by BloodHorse

Matt Winn Stakes, Churchill Downs, East Avenue, Burnham Square, Final Gambit, Coal Battle, Godolphin, Brendan Walsh, Luis Saez, owner, trainer, jockey, Kentucky Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Michael Banahan, Sovereignty, horse racing, ABR

East Avenue held off a late rally from Burnham Square to win the Matt Winn Stakes June 8 at Churchill Downs. (Coady Media)

It’s been a good weekend to be a 3-year-old colt in royal blue silks.

Less than 24 hours after Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Sovereignty captured another jewel of the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, Godolphin’s other homebred Derby entrant, East Avenue, secured his return to the winner’s circle with a gate-to-wire victory in the $387,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs June 8.

“It’s been an unbelievable, super weekend,” said Godolphin’s director of bloodstock Michael Banahan.

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Following Belmont evening celebrations, Banahan departed Saratoga, N.Y., around 4 a.m. ET and arrived in Lexington around 10:30 a.m. to then drive to Louisville and make it back for East Avenue’s run.

“I wanted to be here and see what he was going to be able to do,” Banahan said. “We really like the horse. We were a bit disappointed in the Derby, obviously, but we didn’t lose any faith in him. It was nice to get him on a dry track and see what he could do.”

The Medaglia d’Oro colt was eighth in the Derby, failing to make the lead over the sloppy track – a strategy that had carried him to two victories and one close second-place finish before.

East Avenue was back in that customary forward spot Sunday, as jockey Luis Saez hustled him out of the gate but set comfortable fractions of :24.41, :47.66, and 1:11.38. But the colt’s three competitors were no slouches, all returning from the Kentucky Derby themselves. The small field turned for home exhibiting signs of a thriller as Burnham Square moved up on the rail, Coal Battle challenged from the outside, and Final Gambit started a rally from behind.

East Avenue was not to be denied, digging in and fighting to the wire for a half-length triumph over Burnham Square, who had previously defeated him by a nose in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in April. Coal Battle was third, another three quarters of a length behind.

“We’ve always thought the world of this horse,” said trainer Brendan Walsh. “We had a little bump in the road at the start of the year, but it was great to see him dig in today. When those horses were coming to him, he fought on again. There were three very good horses with him. He moved his game up from Derby day again.”

East Avenue completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.12 and paid $4.94 to win as the slight 1.47-1 favorite.

After becoming a top Derby contender with a Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity domination at Keeneland last fall, East Avenue left many scratching their heads with lackluster performances in the winter. It appears, with his Blue Grass runner-up effort and Matt Winn victory, those days are behind him.

Walsh said East Avenue’s future will likely contain races in the one-mile to 1 1/16-mile range but, before connections determine the next spot, they will be enjoying the colt’s return to form.

“We’ve always expected those types of performances out of him,” Banahan said. “This was a great race to come back today. We’re very pleased with what we saw today against some really nice horses.”