LEXINGTON, Ky. – It was an adventurous pre- and post-race for various members of the field of 2-year-olds, but the less than two minutes it took East Avenue to run the Grade 1, $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity were as straightforward as could be. The colt announced himself as a candidate for upcoming major events with a 5 1/4-length victory over favored Ferocious on Saturday at Keeneland. “I had plenty of horse left,” said Tyler Gaffalione, who hand-rode home. “He’s pretty special. I’m really excited about him.” Godolphin homebred East Avenue ($7.56), who did have to survive a rider’s objection from Luis Saez on Ferocious, remained unbeaten in two starts with the win. The Medaglia d’Oro colt, who is out of a half-sister to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, wired his debut going six furlongs on Aug. 24 at Ellis Park, drawing clear by eight lengths. “We took a very similar route to what we did with Maxfield,” said trainer Brendan Walsh, who, in 2019, saddled Godolphin homebred Maxfield to win the Futurity in his second career start off a Kentucky maiden win the month prior. “He’s a very, very good horse. I’ve been very lucky with Godolphin the last few years.” :: SAVE BIG with a DRF Keeneland Handicapping Package East Avenue trained so strongly toward his stakes debut, for which he was sent away the second choice, that Walsh had to get creative with his roster. “I had to bring him to Churchill and work him with older horses, because I couldn’t find a 2-year-old to even [push him],” Walsh said. “And I can’t really find many older horses to do it, either.” Ferocious, a seven-figure purchase earlier this year, was favored for trainer Gustavo Delgado off an impressive debut win at Saratoga and then a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes – an effort flattered when the winner, Chancer McPatrick, won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes earlier Saturday at Aqueduct. Ferocious, who was composed in the paddock and warm-up, became fractious in the gate, tossing Saez out the back. The colt was unloaded, and Saez swiftly remounted as the horse was deemed good to go with a swift vet check. After Ferocious was reloaded in the inside post and Ready for Peace, reluctant to load, was installed in the outside gate, the Futurity was good to go. East Avenue, breaking from post 5 in the field of 11, was away smartly to lead the first time through the stretch, a position he would not relinquish. Entering the first turn, the colt worked his way over to the rail while a length clear of the horses to his inside, although Ferocious, still against the rail and already having received contact from Optical to his outside, did appear to steady slightly, the subject of the eventual objection. East Avenue led by a length through an opening half-mile in 46.76 seconds on a fast main track that was playing kindly to speed Friday and saw winners either on the lead or well-positioned into the stretch Saturday. Ferocious had recovered to tuck into a nice pocket in fourth and appeared to have plenty of run as he rated under a long hold, with Dapper Moon and Ready for Peace attempting to press the pace on the outside. But around the far turn, Saez was low to his mount’s neck and asking for more while Gaffalione was still high in the irons and like a statue aboard East Avenue. The winner was never threatened in the lane as Gaffalione only hand-urged him coming into the short stretch to pull away. East Avenue stopped the clock in 1:43.17 for the 1 1/16 miles. Ferocious was easily best of the rest, 4 1/4 lengths clear of Filoso in third. :: BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more “You just have to take it race by race,” said Ramiro Restrepo, co-owner of Ferocious. “The end-all be-all isn’t tomorrow. The end-all be-all is a long career. I’m happy that we got a great runner-up effort, and it’s on to the next race, whatever it may be.” The top three were followed by Dapper Moon, Mesero, Tenacious Leader, Big Boat, Handsome Pants, Saratoga Cruiser, Ready for Peace, and Optical. Optical faltered while racing well back in last and was pulled up, but then jogged through the stretch to the unsaddling area and was walked off. East Avenue earned an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, this year set for Nov. 1 at Del Mar, with Saturday’s win. He also earned early points toward the starting gate for the 2025 Kentucky Derby, as the Futurity awarded points to the top finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. Walsh, who said the colt will likely do the majority of his training toward the Breeders’ Cup in Kentucky, knows better than to look too far ahead. Maxfield was scratched from the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile three days out from the race with a foot issue, and another injury the following year kept him out of the postponed Triple Crown races. “We were gutted with Max,” Walsh said. “You always think, ‘What if?’ “Hopefully, we can keep this guy right, and he can go on to do special things.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.