East Avenue controls pace to rebound in Matt Winn

One day after Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Sovereignty cemented his status as the leading three-year-old in the Belmont (G1), Godolphin’s other Derby runner, eighth-placer East Avenue, rebounded in Sunday’s $387,000 Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. 

The 1 1/16-mile affair was a veritable Derby reunion, with all four starters exiting the Run for the Roses. But a different distance, pace dynamic, and track condition served to scramble the form. 

East Avenue did not enjoy the slop when chasing the hot pace and retreating on the first Saturday in May. Back in his element here as the controlling speed, going shorter, on a fast surface, the Brendan Walsh trainee ranked as the slight 1.47-1 favorite. 

Final Gambit, the Derby fourth, was also dispatched at 1.47-1 in the Matt Winn. While the deep closer benefited from the Derby scenario, Sunday’s race shape did not favor him, and he trailed the quartet at every call.

Burnham Square, sixth in the Derby after costly trouble at a decisive stage, went off as a 2.65-1 chance, and the overachieving underdog Coal Battle, a non-threatening 11th in the Derby, was the 6.73-1 Matt Winn outsider. Both ran their races in second and third, respectively, but could not reel in a determined East Avenue, who had things his own way.

One key factor that helped East Avenue’s cause was the scratch of Gaming. The Bob Baffert pupil likely would have shown speed from his rail draw. When Gaming opted to return to Santa Anita for Sunday’s Affirmed S. (and went wire-to-wire), East Avenue had the pace angle to himself. 

Under new rider Luis Saez, East Avenue drove to the lead through an opening quarter in :24.41. Burnham Square initially tightened up Coal Battle as they bid for stalking spots, but Coal Battle was more tactical in a tracking second on the outside. Burnham Square bided his time in a ground-saving third.

East Avenue had to withstand their challenges on either side down the stretch. But after getting away with fractions of :47.66 and 1:11.38, he had enough left to parry them both. 

Coal Battle was the first to mount a bid, and as soon as he was held at bay, Burnham Square rallied on the rail to threaten late. Although Burnham Square whittled the margin to a half-length, he never looked like nailing East Avenue as he did two back in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland.

East Avenue’s connections were delighted with his fighting spirit.

“Our plan was to go to the lead,” Saez said. “He broke well and got in a good rhythm down the backside. Turning for home, he had to fight back against (Burnham Square and Coal Battle). I was impressed how he held them off.”

“I think the distance today was right in his wheelhouse,” Walsh said. “He’s a gutsy horse when he makes the lead like he did today. I was very impressed how he battled back against Burnham Square, who came up to his inside, and Coal Battle on his outside.”

Another three-quarters of a length adrift in third came Coal Battle, and there was a 3 1/2-length break back to Final Gambit. In addition to Gaming, Chunk of Gold and Just a Fair Shake were also withdrawn. 

East Avenue clocked 1:42.12 to advance his record to 7-3-1-0, $901,395. The Medaglia d’Oro colt wired his first two starts, including the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), to warrant favoritism for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). A terrible stumble out of the gate ruined his chances at Del Mar, where he wound up ninth. 

Expected to turn the page in his sophomore bow in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds, East Avenue folded tamely in a dead-heat 10th. He was back in form in his Blue Grass near-miss, only to regress in the Derby.

The Matt Winn reiterated the idea that East Avenue needs a particular type of race shape to put his best foot forward. The Haskell (G1) might present such an opportunity. In any event, the Godolphin homebred promises to give Sheikh Mohammed’s operation even more options on the divisional calendar, as Sovereignty has the classic distances covered.

Kentucky-bred East Avenue is out of the Ghostzapper mare Dance Music, a half-sister to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish. Dance Music is also a half to Grade 2-winning miler Endorsed, who is by Medaglia d’Oro, and therefore a three-quarter brother to East Avenue. 

Cody’s Wish, Endorsed, and Dance Music were all produced by Grade 1 scorer Dance Card, the third-placer in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). With those immediate maternal relatives, East Avenue may well find his ideal trip in the vicinity of a mile.