Road to Kentucky starts at Fair Grounds for East Avenue & Good Cheer

Two of Godolphin’s brightest hopes for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, East Avenue and Good Cheer, commence their three-year-old campaigns on a stacked Fair Grounds card on Saturday, 15 February.

East Avenue looks to further his claims for the first Saturday in May when he tackles the G2 Risen Star Stakes. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Medaglia d’Oro colt makes his first appearance since the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, in which a bad stumble leaving the stalls cost him any chance.

A dominant eight-length debut winner at Ellis Park, East Avenue emulated Maxfield and Essential Quality with a sensational victory in the G1 Breeders' Futurity, taking the Keeneland feature by five and a quarter lengths.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, said: “East Avenue had a nice break after the misadventure of the Breeders’ Cup. He started back breezing at the start of the year and hasn’t missed a beat. Brendan is very pleased with him and expects him to perform very well on his three-year-old debut. He has filled out into an impressive physical specimen and hopefully he runs as good as he looks.

“East Avenue will go off favourite and we expect him to perform very well, so we can continue down the Derby trail to the first Saturday in May. Tyler Gaffalione flies into town to continue his partnership with him.”

Eclipse Award finalist Good Cheer hopes to maintain her perfect record in the G2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, a race won by subsequent Kentucky Oaks scorer Pretty Mischievous in 2023 and Tarifa 12 months ago.

Good Cheer won her first two starts by an aggregate of more than 25 lengths and the Brad Cox-trained filly rounded off a superb season with two more imposing displays in Stakes races at Churchill Downs.

Having stormed from the rear to score by nearly five lengths in the Rags to Riches Stakes, the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro skipped clear under a hands and heels ride when winning the G2 Golden Rod Stakes.

Michael Banahan said: “Good Cheer has had a good break since breaking through at the Graded Stakes level in the G2 Golden Rod. Brad has been extremely pleased with her since she started back working and expects her to run very well. Hopefully, she will be a worthy favourite and can follow in the footsteps of Pretty Mischievous and Tarifa. Luis Saez will ride her again.”

Four-year-old Maycocks Bay makes his third Fair Grounds appearance of the winter in the G3 Mineshaft Stakes on the same card.

A comfortable winner of an allowance optional claimer on his return from injury in December, the Michael Stidham-trained colt faded close home to finish fourth in last month’s G3 Louisiana Stakes.

Michael Banahan added: “Maycocks Bay is coming into the G3 Mineshaft in excellent shape. He ran fine in his Graded Stakes debut last time out but pulled too hard to finish off the race. If he has matured from his last two runs and proves to be more tractable, it will give us a more accurate assessment of his ability.

“He is only one of two in the race that is not a Stakes winner, so it will be a competitive affair. Steve Asmussen runs the highly touted albeit lightly raced Hall Of Fame, who will likely go off favourite. We expect a good run and hopefully he will earn his way to competing at the top table. We will learn more about him on Saturday.”