Burnham Square Redirects to Matt Winn After Derby Troubles

Churchill Downs will see the return of Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square in the GIII Matt Winn Stakes on June 8, trainer Ian Wilkes confirmed Sunday.

The Liam’s Map colt is looking to rebound after a troubled sixth-place finish in the GI Kentucky Derby, where jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. was forced to check repeatedly when Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) slowed abruptly in front of him.

"In a 20-horse field, somebody is going to have trouble and I guess it was my turn," Wilkes said the morning after the race. "I thought he ran a terrific race. He got stopped at the half-mile pole when everybody else was making their move and then he got going again to get sixth. Without the trouble, I think he would have been in the top three."

The Matt Winn appearance continues a busy campaign for the promising sophomore.

Burnham Square opened his 3-year-old season with a victory in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes on February 1. After finishing fourth in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes, he captured the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on April 8 before his Derby attempt.

The colt’s connections are optimistic about his chances in the Matt Winn, which will mark his first start since the Derby disappointment.