East Avenue earns 95 Beyer for Breeders' Futurity romp
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – East Avenue made several points winning the Breeders’ Futurity on Saturday at Keeneland.
He showed he can go two turns after winning his career debut over six furlongs. He demonstrated that a step up in class, from maiden to Grade 1 competition, did not exceed his capacity, scoring by more than five lengths.
East Avenue ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.17, which announced him as just about the fastest 2-year-old dirt horse to have run in North America this year, his 95 Beyer Speed Figure second only to the 96 Ferocious received winning his debut.
Ferocious has five lengths to find on East Avenue based on the Breeders’ Futurity outcome. And a strong chance exists East Avenue could have run faster – Tyler Gaffalione didn’t even urge his mount through the final Breeders’ Futurity furlong.
“Tyler just couldn’t have been more impressed,” said Brendan Walsh, who trains East Avenue for his breeder, Godolphin.
In 2019, Walsh debuted the Godolphin homebred Maxfield in a Churchill Downs mile, which he won, returning to land the Breeders’ Futurity by 5 1/2 lengths.
“The most recent one you always think is the one,” Walsh said when asked to compare the two. “Maxfield was very, very good.”
East Avenue obviously has the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in California in his sights. Connections hope parallels between the two colts have ended. Maxfield went to Santa Anita five years ago for the Juvenile and was scratched several days out.
Walsh said East Avenue had taken his Breeders’ Futurity well.
“I thought this morning he was a little tired,” Walsh said Sunday, “but this afternoon he was bright as a button, had his head out of the box looking at everything.”
East Avenue looks like a 4-year-old, not a 2-year-old, and trains like one, too. He came to Walsh in May from Bridlewood Farm in Florida, already a colt with a reputation on the farm. East Avenue began his work pattern at Keeneland and had five breezes over the track.
“We couldn’t find any 2-year-old to work with him, so we sent him over to Churchill, and now we can’t find any older horses to work with him,” Walsh said, only half-kidding.
Walsh entered East Avenue, by Medaglia d’Oro out of the Ghostzapper mare Dance Music, in a maiden race in July, but the colt coughed – never actually getting sick – and had to be scratched. His debut came Aug. 24 at Ellis Park, East Avenue winning by eight lengths over a six-furlong trip short of his best.
A true route horse with sprint speed – there’s nothing more dangerous in American dirt racing. Walsh touches wood every day, hoping to see it on display next month at Del Mar.
◗ Zeitlos, sharp winner of the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, will start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, all being well, trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday.
Asmussen also has Ballerina Stakes winner Society pointed toward the Filly and Mare Sprint.
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