Bone bruising puts Grade 1 winner East Avenue on Walsh’s bench

Grade 1 winner East Avenue will go to trainer Brendan Walsh’s bench for at least two months after he was diagnosed with bone bruising coming out of his last start three weeks ago.

In a Tuesday text message to Horse Racing Nation, Walsh confirmed the setback that was reported first by Daily Racing Form.

“Hopefully just briefly sidelined,” Walsh said. “Maybe back at the end of the year.”

Flashback: East Avenue is triumphant in Matt Winn.

The 3-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt bred and owned by Godolphin finished fifth Aug. 3 as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer. The defeat came nearly two months after an encouraging victory in the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. That was East Avenue’s first win since an eyebrow-raising October triumph in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.

A debut winner almost exactly a year ago at Ellis Park, East Avenue was the 9-5 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. That was where he lost the race at the start, stumbling out of the gate on his way to a ninth-place finish.

East Avenue began 2025 with a 10th-place disappointment as the 4-5 favorite in the Risen Star (G2). Then he finished second to Burnham Square in the Blue Grass (G1) and eighth in the Kentucky Derby before his Matt Winn score.

With a record of 8: 3-1-0, East Avenue has earned $909,395.