East Avenue takes Matt Winn; Leslie’s Lady goes to Kilwin
Churchill Downs stakes recaps by publicist Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media/John Gallagher photo above of East Avenue winning the Matt Winn under Luis Saez)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, June 8, 2025) – East Avenue led every step of the way and turned back late challenges from Burnham Square and Coal Battle to win Sunday’s 28th running of the $387,000 Matt Winn Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs by a half-length.
East Avenue bounced back from his eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) byclocking 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.12 under Luis Saez for trainer Brendan Walsh and owner/breeder Godolphin, who one day earlier won the Belmont Stakes (GI) at Saratoga with Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty.
The victory was East Avenue’s second stakes win. Last fall, he captured the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland after an impressive maiden victory.
East Avenue broke fastest from the outside post and led the field of four 3-year-olds through quarter mile fractions of :24.41, :47.66 and 1:11.38 as Rebel (GII) winner Coal Battle tracked from second with Blue Grass (GI) hero Burnham Square in third and stretch-running Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII) winner Final Gambit last down the backstretch after breaking inward at the start.
East Avenue was unpressured down the backstretch and maintained a length to 1 ½-length advantage through the top of the stretch. Coal Battle ranged up to East Avenue’s right hip from the outside while Burnham Square darted to the rail. Both rivals chased East Avenue down the lane but could not catch the eventual winner who gamely turned back the competition.
“Our plan was to go to the lead,” Saez said. “He broke well and got in a good rhythm down the backside. Turning for home, he had to fight back against (Burnham Square and Coal Battle). I was impressed how he held them off.”
East Avenue returned $4.94 and $3 as the 7-5 favorite. Burnham Square, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., returned $3.36 at 5-2 and finished three-quarters of a length in front of 6-1 Coal Battle under Corey Lanerie. There was no show wagering. Final Gambit, fourth in the Kentucky Derby and the 7-5 second betting choice, was another 3 ½ lengths back in fourth. Chunk of Gold, Gaming and Just a Fair Shake were scratched.
The victory was worth $247,000 and improved East Avenue’s record to 3-1-0 with earnings of $901,395 in seven starts.
“I think the distance today was right in his wheelhouse,” Walsh said. “He’s a gutsy horse when he makes the lead like he did today. I was very impressed how he battled back against Burnham Square, who came up to his inside, and Coal Battle on his outside.”
This was the second Matt Winn triumph for Godolphin and Walsh, who teamed to win the 2020 renewal with Maxfield.
East Avenue is a son of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Ghostzapper mare Dance Music and was bred in Kentucky.
The Matt Winn is named in honor of the famed Churchill Downs president that served as the driving force in the development of the Downs and his beloved Kentucky Derby.
Following dark days on Monday and Tuesday, racing at Churchill Downs is scheduled to resume Wednesday with a nine-race card that begins at 12:45 p.m. ET.
*********************************************************************************************************************
KILWIN SUCCESSFUL IN DIRT DEBUT, WINS $175,000 LESLIE’S LADY
Kilwin, owned by Ann Braxton Lynch’s BBN Racing LLC, surged past 7-5 favorite Vodka With a Twist inside the final furlong to win Sunday’s fourth running of the $175,000 Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs by 1 ¼ lengths.
Ridden by Edgar Morales and conditioned by Rusty Arnold, Kilwin made her debut on first and ran seven furlongs over a fast track in a stakes record 1:21.61 to collect her second career stakes win. The previous mark was Emery’s 1:22.46 in last year’s renewal.
Each of Kilwin’s previous five races came on grass, including a win in the $1 million Untapable at Kentucky Downs last September at age 2 and a runner-up effort in the $225,000 Mamzelle (GIII) in her previous start at Churchill Downs on May 10.
“She has some dirt in her pedigree,” Arnold said. “She’s trained well over it, so we were confident she’d handle it. When she won her first two starts on the grass, it was hard to take her off of it. After her last couple of starts, we picked out this spot and thought it was a great place to try dirt for the first time.”
California invader Vodka With a Twist, the winner of last spring’s $225,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs, broke fastest from the gate and dictated the terms through a first quarter mile in :22.86 and a half mile in :45.58 as Kilwin tracked in fourth down the backstretch. Kilwin ranged into contention with a wide move around the turn, engaged Vodka With a Twist in upper stretch and inched clear of that rival with an eighth of a mile to run.
“She’s handled the dirt before in the morning and she proved it (Sunday) in the afternoon,” Morales said. “She traveled well throughout and I was confident turning for home she’d give me a good run.”
Kilwin, at odds of 8-1, rewarded her backers with payouts of $18.08, $6.88 and $3.60. Vodka With a Twist, ridden byFlavien Prat, returned $3.44 and $2.62. Evanescence, with Luan Machado up, was another five lengths back in third and paid $2.68 to show.
Eclatant, Bourbon Memory and Miss Martini completed the order of finish. Impulse Buy was scratched.
With her victory worth $106,518, Kilwin boosted her career earnings to $812,968 from a record of 3-1-0 in six starts.
Kilwin is a daughter of Twirling Candy out of the Blame mare Spanish Star and was bred in Kentucky by Gilder-Schwarz Farms LLC.
The Leslie’s Lady honors Fred and Nancy Mitchell’s breed-shaping broodmare who produced 15 foals, of which nine became racehorses and seven were winners, including top sire Into Mischief, four-time champion Beholder and Grade I winner and sire Mendelssohn. The 2016 Broodmare of the Year passed away peacefully at age 26 on Jan. 24.
*********************************************************************************************************************
MATT WINN QUOTES
Luis Saez (jockey, East Avenue, winner): “Our plan was to go to the lead. He broke well and got in a good rhythm down the backside. Turning for home, he had to fight back against (Burnham Square and Coal Battle). I was impressed how he held them off.”
Brendan Walsh (trainer, East Avenue, winner): “I think the distance today was right in his wheelhouse. He’s a gutsy horse when he makes the lead like he did today. I was very impressed how he battled back against Burnham Square, who came up to his inside, and Coal Battle on his outside.”
Brian Hernandez Jr. (jockey, Burnham Square, runner-up): “Going into the first turn I was forced to go back a little further than I planned. Going to the quarter-pole, I was had to stay toward the inside with Coal Battle to our outside.”
Lonnie Briley (trainer, Coal Battle, third): “What a gutsy horse. I can’t say enough about him how he tries every time. We’ll live to fight another day.”
*********************************************************************************************************************
LESLIE’S LADY QUOTES
Edgar Morales (jockey, Kilwin, winner): “She’s handled the dirt before in the morning and she proved it today in the afternoon. She traveled well throughout and I was confident turning for home she’d give me a good run.”
Rusty Arnold II (trainer, Kilwin, winner): “She has some dirt in her pedigree. She’s trained well over it, so we were confident she’d handle it. When she won her first two starts on the grass, it was hard to take her off of it. After her last couple of starts, we picked out this spot and thought it was a great place to try dirt for the first time.”
Flavien Prat (jockey, Vodka With a Twist, runner-up): “She did a lot of things right today. She broke well and was traveling well down the backside. When she turned for home in front, she was still trying hard to the wire but we were second best today.”
