Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: East Avenue

East Avenue

Colt by Medaglia d’Oro – Dance Music, by Ghostzapper

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin

East Avenue won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last fall, but then lost all chance when he stumbled badly at the start of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Godolphin homebred makes his highly anticipated 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star. As the colt marches down the classics trail, he will look to check off one more accomplishment for his veteran sire, and to continue to boost the profile of a strong female family.

Medaglia d’Oro, by El Prado, was a constant presence at the top of the game, winning the Grade 1 Travers and Donn Handicap, and finishing second in top-level events, including the Belmont Stakes, two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the Dubai World Cup. As a stallion, he is responsible for 195 stakes winners internationally, with few accomplishments missing from his résumé. One of those few is that he is yet to have a son win an American classic race.

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Medaglia d’Oro is the sire of a classic winner in 2009 Kentucky Oaks and Preakness heroine and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. She is a member of the Hall of Fame, along with another Eclipse Award champion filly by Medaglia d’Oro, Songbird.

Medaglia d’Oro’s other daughters include Canadian classic winner and Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot and Plum Pretty, another Kentucky Oaks winner. In addition to Songbird, Medaglia d’Oro is the sire of Breeders’ Cup winners Bar of Gold, New Money Honey, and Talismanic. He also is the sire of champions worldwide, including multi-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty.

East Avenue is the first foal out of the unraced Godolphin homebred Dance Music. Her dam, Dance Card, scored her signature win in the Grade 1 Gazelle at 1 1/8 miles. She turned back in distance to finish third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, beaten just a length by champions Groupie Doll and Judy the Beauty.

Dance Card is the dam of Godolphin’s 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. She also is the dam of a pair of stakes performers by Medaglia d’Oro – Endorsed, a multiple graded stakes winner at a mile, and stakes-placed Bocephus.

Dance Music is a daughter of Ghostzapper, the broodmare sire of Triple Crown winner Justify and additional Eclipse champions Drefong and Up to the Mark.

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