Grade I winner 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) returned to the worktab Jan. 3 in his first published move since finishing ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November.
The well-beaten favorite in the championship race, the son of Medaglia d'Oro went onto the track shortly after a renovation break for a half-mile breeze in :49.20 with Declan Cannon in the irons. The sectionals were reported as :12 2/5, :24 4/5, and :37 2/5 and he galloped out five furlongs in 1:02 1/5, according to clocker Billy Pettingill.
“This was the first time I've seen him in person and he really stands out on the track,” Petingill said. “The work was impressive. The time was fast, but what I really liked was how his momentum just carried him through the gallop out.”
East Avenue is reportedly targeting the GII Risen Star at Fair Grounds Feb. 15, and at the current stage, all is going according to plan.
“Our goal is to get him there [the Risen Star] in great shape and leave some room for improvement,” said trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He's naturally fast, but he's also a very cool horse with a great mind.”
“Once he blew the start [in the Juvenile], we were dead in the water,” Walsh said. “We sprinted him first time out, and then sent him to the lead at Keeneland [Breeders' Futurity win]. In the Breeders' Cup, he just outbroke himself. His head was going faster than his body. It was disappointing, but you don't get a do over. It's horse racing. It's sports. Sometimes things just happen and you move on.”
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