East Avenue returned to his winning ways with a front-running victory in the $400,000 G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sunday, 8 June.
The three-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt was winning for the third time in seven career starts. After breaking his maiden in his debut at age two, East Avenue scored a home run in his second start, taking the G1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.
Most recently eighth behind fellow Godolphin homebred Sovereignty in the G1 Kentucky Derby, East Avenue was joined in the Matt Winn by fellow Derby rivals Burnham Square, Coal Battle, and Final Gambit.
Breaking from the outside post as the favorite, East Avenue made the front under jockey Luis Saez and never looked back. The hard-knocking Coal Battle tried to get by the leader on the outside in the stretch, but East Avenue was determined, holding off both Coal Battle and Burnham Square, who tried to squeeze up along the inside rail, to get the victory. Burnham Square was second and Coal Battle took third.
East Avenue was bred in Kentucky and is out of the unraced Dance Music (Ghostzapper), a half-sister to Horse of the Year and current Darley stallion, Cody’s Wish. East Avenue's second dam Dance Card won the G1 Gazelle Stakes and was third behind two-time champion Groupie Doll in the following year's G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
East Avenue is the second Graded Stakes winner of the weekend for his sire, Medaglia d’Oro. His daughter, Nitrogen, won her fifth straight Stakes in the G3 Wonder Again at Saratoga on Saturday. Medaglia d’Oro is also the sire of Spirit of St Louis, a two-time G1 winner on the turf in 2025 and G1 Kentucky Oaks heroine, Good Cheer.
Medaglia d’Oro is standing the 2025 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $75,000, stands and nurses.
