Kentucky Derby 2025: After Risen Star dud, East Avenue a forgotten horse

East Avenue came into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile the first weekend in November looking like the leading member of his generation. Coming into the second weekend of March, his generation less than two months away from their turn at the Kentucky Derby, East Avenue essentially has fallen off the radar.

While a bad stumble at the start at least in part excused a distant ninth-place finish as the favorite in the BC Juvenile, no apparent excuse accompanied his performance in his 3-year-old debut Feb. 15 in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. East Avenue tracked the pace, began backing up on the far turn, and wound up 10th, beaten more than 22 lengths, as the 4-5 favorite. Godolphin bred and owns East Avenue, and on March 1 another Godolphin homebred, Sovereignty, aced his 3-year-old bow, winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes.

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East Avenue has not gone into hiding. In fact, on Tuesday he had his second timed workout since the Risen Star, breezing a half-mile with a workmate in 48 seconds, second fastest among 39 works at the distance on Mardi Gras morning at Fair Grounds.

“He’s back on the go and working as well as he ever worked,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “We’ll take it week by week and see what happens.”

East Avenue’s connections likely will forge onward to another Derby prep race, either the Louisiana Derby on March 22 or the Blue Grass Stakes on April 5 at Keeneland, where East Avenue’s reputation was made with his smashing October win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity. To be a Classic horse, East Avenue needs to regain that kind of form – and soon.

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