East Avenue meets Chunk of Gold once again in an Iselin Stakes with scores to settle

The G1 winner will aim to flip the script against his long-time rival, who has bested him in two of their three previous meetings; meanwhile, morning-line favorite Bishops Bay adds even more firepower to Saturday's G3 feature at Monmouth Park

East Avenue winning the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland / KEENELAND

OCEANPORT, New Jersey—Certain rivals have a knack for becoming a persistent thorn in a horse's side. For East Avenue, that role has been comfortably filled by Chunk of Gold, and the two will cross paths once again this Saturday when they clash in the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3-1 1/16m, $150,000) at Monmouth Park.

The Godolphin homebred boasts the superior résumé, headlined by a G1 victory and multiple graded stakes titles, but their head-to-head record paints a different picture: in three previous meetings, Chunk of Gold has finished ahead of him twice. Saturday's Iselin presents East Avenue with a prime opportunity to settle the score.

East Avenue arrives fresh off a thrilling victory in the Salvator Mile Stakes (G3), also at Monmouth Park, where he dug deep to prevail by a nose over Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo)—another heavyweight contender lying in wait this weekend.

Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount aboard the son of Medaglia d’Oro for trainer Brendan Walsh, a partnership with a proven big-race track record. It was Gaffalione who was in the irons when East Avenue stormed to a 5 1/4-length victory in the 2024 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.

Since that breakout afternoon, however, East Avenue has experienced an up-and-down campaign. Across his next nine graded stakes starts, he went unplaced five times, though he also captured the 2025 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) and the aforementioned Salvator Mile, alongside razor-thin runner-up finishes in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and the Oaklawn Mile (G3).

His history with Chunk of Gold began during the 2025 classic trail. Their first clash came in the Risen Star Stakes(G2), where Chunk of Gold finished second to Magnitude (Not This Time), while East Avenue faded to tenth. They met next in the Kentucky Derby (G1), where the order flipped well behind the leadership: East Avenue crossed the line eighth, with his rival right behind in ninth.

The third chapter proved far more decisive. In the West Virginia Derby (G3), Chunk of Gold took the lead early and never looked back, drawing off to a 4 1/4-length triumph, while East Avenue failed to threaten and finished fifth.

Since that victory, the Ethan West trainee—who races for owner Terry Stephens—has maintained remarkable consistency. He went unplaced just once in his four starts following the West Virginia Derby, a run highlighted by a dominant 8 1/4-length win at Keeneland and a close third in the Clark Stakes (G2).

Chunk of Gold has made just one start in 2026, making a quiet season debut on June 28 at Churchill Downs with a second-place effort in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming event. He now returns to graded stakes company intent on proving he remains a matchup nightmare for East Avenue.

Yet the head-to-head battle between the two is far from the whole story in the Iselin. Bishops Bay has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite and possesses the credentials to back up that status. The Brad Cox-trained son of Uncle Mo captured the 2025 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2), has banked over $2,500,000 in earnings, and has finished first or second in 14 of his 16 career outings.

Furthermore, his nose defeat to East Avenue in the Salvator Mile demonstrated virtually no difference in quality between the two, handing Bishops Bay an immediate chance at redemption.

The field also includes Stars and Stripes, though the Bill Mott-trained son of Not This Time will be a scratch after scoring a victory in Thursday's Birdstone Stakes (L) at Saratoga.

The Philip H. Iselin Stakes also serves as part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series, awarding credits of $15,000, $7,500, and $3,750 to the top three finishers to be applied toward entry fees for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile(G1) or another eligible dirt contest during the championship card on October 31 at Keeneland.

With autumn and the Breeders’ Cup fast approaching, Monmouth Park offers a contest rich in intrigue well beyond its $150,000 purse. East Avenue enters on a high note seeking revenge against Chunk of Gold; Bishops Bay looks to turn the tables after his Salvator Mile heartbeat loss. Three standout horses, multiple unresolved rivalries, and an Iselinthat promises to deliver far more than a routine G3.