Burnham Square sprung the upset, nailing East Avenue at the wire to capture the Blue Grass Stakes

Sporting the iconic Bayakoa silks of Whitham Thoroughbreds, the son of Liam’s Map secured his spot in the Kentucky Derby

Burnham Square (left) got the better of East Avenue right at the wire / KEENELAND

LEXINGTON, KY (Special to Turf Diario)—In a dramatic finish, Burnham Square nosed out East Avenue(Medaglia d’Oro) at the wire to win the 101st running of the G1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (1800m, dirt, $1,250,000), a pivotal prep for 3-year-olds aiming for the G1 Kentucky Derby. The race, originally scheduled for Saturday, was postponed to Tuesday due to severe weather and heavy rain across Central Kentucky.

Carrying the iconic silks of Whitham Thoroughbreds—the same colors once worn by Argentine legend Bayakoa(Consultant’s Bid)—and trained by Ian Wilkes, Burnham Square secured 100 qualifying points, locking in a spot among the 20 contenders who will enter the gate on May 3 at Churchill Downs. Piloted by Brian Hernandez Jr., the gelded son of Liam’s Map out of Linda (Scat Daddy) stopped the clock over a fast track in 1:51.33, earning his second graded stakes win following his score in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes in February.

East Avenue, who set the pace from the outset, earned 50 points to bring his total to 60, good for 13th on the leaderboard. River Thames (Maclean’s Music), third just three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up, picked up 25 points to bring his tally to 50—currently 16th and within the projected cut line.

The race was as thrilling as it was tactical. With Brazilian rider Luan Machado aboard, East Avenue shot straight to the front, setting fractions of 22.95, 46.95, and 1:11.96 uncontested. Meanwhile, Burnham Square settled at the back of the seven-horse field, biding his time.

As they turned for home, Owen Almighty (Speightstown) launched the first serious challenge, momentarily grabbing a narrow lead. But East Avenue battled back along the rail, while on the outside, River Thames and Burnham Squarebegan to roll.

With 150 meters to go, Owen Almighty began to fade. Burnham Square edged past River Thames and took dead aim at the leader. The pair battled stride for stride, and at the very last jump, Burnham Square prevailed by a nose.

It marked just the fifth time since the Blue Grass Stakes debuted at Keeneland in 1937 that the race has been decided by such a narrow margin. It was also the second win in the historic race for Brian Hernandez Jr., who previously captured it aboard Art Collector (Bernardini) in 2020.

Bred in Kentucky by Whitham Thoroughbreds, Burnham Square is a gelding and became the seventh of his kind to win the Blue Grass, the first since Dominican (El Corredor) in 2007. His record now stands at 6 starts, 3 wins, 1 second, and 1 third, with earnings of $977,755—including $755,625 from Tuesday’s breakthrough performance.