2025 Kentucky Derby Horse Profile & Betting Outlook: East Avenue

Longshot Kentucky Derby hopeful East Avenue will look to upset a very talented field in the 151st Run for the Roses.

In this installment of my Respected Money Derby betting profiles, we will dive deeper into a front-running colt who historically runs best when placed on the lead.

Kentucky Derby Contenders: East Avenue

POST NUMBER: 12

ODDS: 20-1

JOCKEY: Manny Franco / TRAINER: Brendan Walsh

RECORD: 5 starts: 2-1-0

TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 104

RUNNING STYLE: Pacesetter / Stalker

CAREER EARNINGS: $654,395

This son of Medaglia d’Oro and Dance Music will look to snap a three-race losing streak in the prestigious first leg of the Triple Crown.

East Avenue Breeding

Sire: Medaglia d’Oro competed in all three legs of the Triple Crown: finishing fourth in the 2002 Kentucky Derby, 8th in the 2002 Preakness, and 2nd in the 2022 Belmont Stakes. Medaglia d’Oro has most notably sired 2009 Eclipse Horse of the Year and Preakness Stakes champion Rachel Alexandria as well as 2018 Sovereign Award Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot.

Dam: Dance Music, is an unraced daughter of 2004 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, who was dominant winning nine of 11 career races - most notably the 2004 Breeders Cup Classic (G1).

East Avenue Jockey / Owner Derby Achievements

Jockey Manny Franco will be in search of his first Derby win after four previous mounts in the Run for the Roses: Frammento (2015, finished 14th), Spinoff (2009, finished 18th), Tiz the Law (2020, finished 2nd), and Zozos (2020, finished 10th).

This will be trainer Brendan Walsh’s second trip to the Kentucky Derby after earning an eighth-place finish with Plus Que Parfait in 2019.

What a finish to the Grade One Blue Grass Stakes!🇺🇸

Burnham Square finishes best of all to overhaul a gallant East Avenue on the run for home and land the spoils at Keeneland! pic.twitter.com/PanBRT5A7O
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 8, 2025

East Avenue Race History

East Avenue has a career record of two wins and one runner-up finish in five career starts.

His career commenced on a high note, breaking his maiden at first asking at a distance of six-furlongs on the dirt at Ellis Park. Following his maiden win, East Avenue remained undefeated by winning the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) by 5 1/4 lengths last October in a gate-to-wire score that earned him a 97 Equibase speed figure.

The winning streak came to a crashing halt with a disappointing 9th place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in November when he failed to recover after stumping at the start.

Following a disappointing 10th-place finish in the Risen Star (G2) in February, East Avenue hit the board for the first time in 2025 losing by a nose in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) to Derby contender Burnham Square, earning a career-best 104 Equibase speed figure.

EAST AVENUE (Medaglia d'Oro - Dance Music, by Ghostzapper) is looking very good here at Churchill Downs.

Trained by @brenpwalsh , the 😍Grade 1-winning Godolphin homebred most recently ran second in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland.#KentuckyDerby pic.twitter.com/om2b7c9hGO
— Barbara D. Livingston (@DRFLivingston) April 21, 2025

East Avenue Kentucky Derby Outlook

Oddsmakers currently have East Avenue listed outside the top-10 betting options at longshot odds +2600 in Derby Futures, considerably higher than his +1000 found in early Future Pools. East Avenue, who fired a bullet four-furlong work in :47.60, is expected to be among the pacesetters in the Kentucky Derby. However, his late fade in the Blue Grass Stakes, combined with his need for the clear lead, results in a horse that will likely go off as a double-digit longshot at post-time.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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