Parx Picks | Pennsylvania Derby 2024

Aaron previews the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing & gives his top win pick from Saturday’s co-headlining horse race.

The deep field of 3-year-olds routing 1 1/8 miles on the dirt includes the red-hot Dragoon Guard, as well as Grade 1 winners Stronghold & Seize the Grey.

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The press release:

A field of 11 3-year-olds led by the late-blooming Dragoon Guard, Grade 1 winner Stronghold and Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey was entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

The Pennsylvania Derby goes as the 13th of 14 races Saturday with a post time of 6:10 p.m. ET.

Juddmonte’s homebred Dragoon Guard, a son of the late Hall of Famer Arrogate trained by Brad Cox, was installed as the 9-5 favorite by Parx’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary David Osojnak. Regular pilot Florent Geroux takes the return call on Dragoon Guard, the winner of four straight including the Grade 3 Indiana Derby and Grade 3 West Virginia Derby.

Cox and Geroux teamed to win last year’s Pennsylvania Derby with Saudi Crown and each seek their second victory in the state’s signature race.

Stronghold, who has finished first or second in seven of eight career races, breaks from the far outside under regular rider Antonio Fresu. Bred and owned by Rick and Sharon Waller and trained by Phil D’Amato, the son of Ghostzapper comes off a second-place finish in the Indiana Derby.

The 5-2 second choice on the morning line, Stronghold won the Sunland Derby and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby before running a respectable seventh in the Kentucky Derby. After that race, the connections circled the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as an end-of-the-year goal, but wanted to stay with running against 3-year-olds until then, Rick Waller said.

Stronghold was pegged as the 5-2 second choice for the 9-furlong Pennsylvania Derby for owners Eric and Sharon Waller and trainer Phil D’Amato. The 3-year-old son of Ghostzapper finished second last time out behind Dragoon Guard in the July 6. Indiana Derby. Antonio Fresu rides Stronghold from post 11.

MyRacehorse Stable’s Seize the Grey, the winner of the Preakness over Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan and others for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, is the 5-1 third choice for the Pennsylvania Derby. The son of Arrogate hasn’t been out since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy July 27 at Saratoga Race Course. Jaime Torres, aboard for Seize the Grey’s last four starts that include a victory in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile, returns.

The field for the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, with jockeys and morning-line odds:

1. Doc Sullivan, Jose Ortiz, 15-1
2. Seize the Grey, Jaime Torres, 5-1
3. Lonesome Boy, Adam Bowman, 20-1
4. Timeout, Joel Rosario, 10-1
5. Protective, Irad Ortiz Jr., 8-1
6. Just Step On It, Jose Lezcano, 15-1
7. Dragoon Guard, Florent Geroux, 9-5
8. Unmatched Wisdom, Flavien Prat, 8-1
9. Who’s the King, Mike Smith, 20-1
10. Uncle Heavy, Mychel Sanchez, 12-1
11. Stronghold, Antonio Fresu, 5-2

The Pennsylvania Derby and Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes headline Saturday’s card that also includes:

• The $400,000, Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 furlongs
• The $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes for 3-year-olds and up
• The $250,000 Grade 3 Turf Monster Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 5 furlongs on the turf
• The Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup for 3-year-olds and up 1 1/2 miles
• The $100,000 Parx Sprint Stakes for 4-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs

The card also features:

• A pair of $100,000 events for PA-bred & sired 2-year-olds in the Whistle Pig Stakes & Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes
• The $100,000 Plum Pretty Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up
• The $100,000 Alphabet Soup Handicap for Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-olds and up