Although he did not bring home the top prize, trainer Brendan Walsh was thrilled with the runner-up effort turned in by Godolphin’s East Avenue in Tuesday’s $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass  (G1).

“He’s doing good this morning,” Walsh said of East Avenue, who was caught in the final jump by Burnham Square to lose by a nose. “He ran a great race. Those horses came to him and he fought back, and that’s what we wanted to see.”

The runner-up finish was worth 50 qualifying points toward the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve and a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the May 3 Run for the Roses.