There is life after the Triple Crown, and the second season for 3-year-olds wastes no time getting started – right back where the Triple Crown series began five weeks ago, and with some familiar faces.
The Grade 3, $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes on Sunday at Churchill Downs drew seven entrants, but will go with a smaller field. Bob Baffert said his trainee, Gaming, will instead run in the Affirmed Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita. Meanwhile, Kentucky Derby alum Chunk of Gold breezed Saturday morning at his Turfway Park base, and can be expected to re-route to the Grade 3 Ohio Derby later this month.
Of the five remaining expected starters for the 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn, four contested the Kentucky Derby on May 3. In order of finish in that classic, they are Final Gambit, who was fourth; Burnham Square, sixth; East Avenue, eighth; and Coal Battle, who was 11th.
Burnham Square, who rallied to win the Grade 1 Blue Grass by a nose over East Avenue, turned in a creditable effort in the Derby. The gelding was more forwardly placed than usual and saving ground inside under Brian Hernandez Jr. when Admire Daytona came in early on the far turn, forcing Hernandez to check sharply and then take back even farther in order to maneuver for running room outside horses. Leaving the three-eighths pole, they had five horses in the field of 19 beaten. Burnham Square came on bravely to be sixth, beaten 10 1/2 lengths.
Following that effort, trainer Ian Wilkes elected to give the gelding time and reset for the second half of the season rather than pushing on to the other Triple Crown races.
“We’re looking at longevity for this horse,” Wilkes said. “I’ve run him every month since he started racing, and I haven’t missed a beat with him. He’s just been going and doing well, so I wanted to give him a little time, sort of freshen him up. It’s only five weeks, but he’s going to think that’s a day off. I had to let him fill his tank up somewhere because he is an animal, he’s not a machine. And we’ll take another shot at [the division leaders] in the fall.”
As in the Kentucky Derby, Wilkes expects Burnham Square, who is coming off a bullet work, to be more forwardly placed, particularly with the extra bit of time between races.
“He showed a little more versatility in the Derby,” Wilkes said. “He left the gates good in the Derby and showed more speed, which is pleasing to see . You’re not strictly one-dimensional. And going a little shorter now, he’s probably a little bit on the fresher side, so I expect him to be tactical.”
Still, East Avenue looks like the lone speed on paper for the Winn. He has used that style in his best races, including his win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last fall and his close effort in the Blue Grass. East Avenue did not make the lead in the Derby when appearing to struggle with the sloppy, sealed track, and he raced fairly evenly to finish eighth, bouncing out well.
“He’s been doing great,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “Not a lot fazes him. He’s always worked very well.”
No one appears likely to go with East Avenue on paper. The other horse in the race who has shown quality speed is Coal Battle, roughed around a few places in the Derby. Coal Battle won the Smarty Jones racing on the front end, but he has won other races, including the Grade 2 Rebel, from more off the pace. Trainer Lonnie Briley said he hopes “someone can go with” East Avenue, indicating that he plans for his colt to be off the pace again.
The lack of pace challengers also could be bad news for the late-running Grade 3 Jeff Ruby winner Final Gambit. The colt closed from last of 19 to be a creditable fourth in the Kentucky Derby and has trained out of the gate in the ensuing weeks to try to keep him a bit more in touch with the field.
The field is completed by multiple stakes-placed Just a Fair Shake, most recently second in the Sir Barton to Belmont Stakes entrant Crudo.
Leslie’s Lady
The $175,000 Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs earlier on the card, includes several alums from the Grade 2 Eight Belles at the same trip five weeks earlier.
Impulse Bay was eighth in the Eight Belles after setting a wicked pace. Eclatant, winner of the Grade 3 Forward Gal, wilted to ninth after pressing her. The well-regarded Eclatant likely faces easier here, but she may have to hustle from a rail draw. Another quick pace would suit Evanescence, who rallied for third in the Eight Belles, her graded stakes debut.
Vodka With a Twist scored both her career wins sprinting at Churchill Downs last year. She is cutting back to a more favorable distance after holding her own in a series of longer races, most recently a runner-up effort in the Santa Anita Oaks.
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