East Avenue back on song with G3 Matt Winn Stakes success

East Avenue posted his first win since October’s G1 Breeders’ Futurity as he bravely made all in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs, USA, on Sunday 8 June. 

Beaten a nose in April’s G1 Blue Grass Stakes, the Brendan Walsh-trained colt was returning to the Louisville course after coming home eighth behind Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby, a race that also featured all three of his Matt Winn rivals. 

Luis Saez galvanised East Avenue leaving the stalls and sent the Medaglia d’Oro homebred on into a length and a half lead over Coal Battle and Burnham Square, with Final Gambit settling in a clear last. 

The field bunched leaving the back, although East Avenue continued to travel powerfully in front before kicking for home at the top of the straight. 

Coal Battle and Burnham Square tried to press East Avenue on both sides approaching the final furlong, with the Godolphin runner finding plenty to prevail by a comfortable half-length in the extended-mile contest. 

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, said: “We held East Avenue in very high regard as a two-year-old. He was a short-priced favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but it didn’t work out that day. He trained super all winter for Brendan and we were so disappointed when he ran in the Risen Star, which left us figuring how to get him back on track. 

“He ran a super race in the Blue Grass, when he showed a lot of fight and grit, but didn’t like the off track in the Derby. Getting him back here on a nice surface, it was super impressive to see him do that. 

“There are plenty of opportunities in the three-year-old programme. He looks like he could be a miler or a seven-furlong horse as he has plenty of speed, although he just got beat over a mile and eighth in the Blue Grass. There are plenty of options and we might look at something like the Haskell Stakes. 

“He has shown himself to be a good horse, so we have plenty to look forward to for the rest of the year.”