Horse Racing On SI

Burnham Square Wins 2025 Blue Grass Stakes In Impressive Fashion

The weather delay at the Blue Grass Stakes did not slow down Burnham Square.
Frank Taddeo|
Luan Machado, on East Avenue, was in the lead for the first turn while Brian J, Hernandez Jr, ridding in Burnham Square, was in last place. Hernandez won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Tuesday afternoon and Machado took second. April 8, 2025
Luan Machado, on East Avenue, was in the lead for the first turn while Brian J, Hernandez Jr, ridding in Burnham Square, was in last place. Hernandez won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Tuesday afternoon and Machado took second. April 8, 2025 | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 Blue Grass Stakes was postponed several days due to inclement weather, but the delay certainly did not bother Burnham Square. 

The 3-year-old son of Liam’s Map made an impressive last-to-first finish to earn his third victory in his last four starts. The win, which earned him a career-best 104 Equibase speed figure, catapulted Ian Wilkes’ prized colt to the top of the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 130 points.

Burnham Square, who received a brilliant ride by Brian Hernandez Jr., made a sweeping five-wide move deep, beating East Avenue by a nose at the wire. 

The emerging colt rebounded in a big way after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in March. The return to the winner’s circle was the best victory since his when he beat fellow Kentucky Derby top contender Tappan Street who came back to win the Florida Derby.

With the runner-up finish East Avenue, who has posted a career-best 104 Equibase figure in the defeat, now stands 13th in Derby points with 60. Third-place finisher River Thames, now stands at 16th in Derby points (50), after hitting the board for the fourth time in four career starts.

Burnham Square will certainly receive attention at the betting windows on the first Saturday win if Wilkes opts to have Hernandez back in the saddles. The 39-year-old talented jockey replaced Edgard Zayas, who had ridden him Burnham Square to victory in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream. Fans will certainly want to back Hernandez if he returns as the Eclipse Award-winning jockey rode Mystik Dan to victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby will conclude with the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) on Saturday from at Keeneland. 

The ‘Greatest Two Minutes’ in sports is only a few weeks away. 

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Frank Taddeo
FRANK TADDEO

Frank Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frank Taddeo primarily performs as On SI’s Senior Fantasy Analyst, providing his significant experience and resources in the sports world.

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