Pennsylvania Derby 2024: Dragoon Guard can use speed to his advantage
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11 of the top three-year-olds in the country line up at Parx on Saturday, September 21 for the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby! The race is one of the last opportunities for leading sophomores to run for top-level glory and a huge purse against horses of their own age, and this race has become one of the leading preps for both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
The 1 ⅛-mile Pennsylvania Derby is one of the best betting races at Parx Racing, as it perennially draws a large field of the best three-year-olds in the country. In recent years horses like Will Take Charge and Bayern have won it en route to excellent outings in the Breeders’ Cup as well as championship honors.
Keep reading to find out about the horses in the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby, see the best ones to bet, and find out the best places to bet the Pennsylvania Derby online!
Betting the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby Online
You have an important decision to make before you start betting the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby. Maximize your profits on the race, and on horse racing all year long, by choosing the best online betting site for the Pennsylvania Derby! Since each site offers different incentives to players, taking a few minutes now can boost your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
Our expert racebook reviews are here to make your decision quick, easy, and profitable. All our recommended sites have trusted payouts, great user interfaces, and market-leading odds. And, we show you which ones offer the best horse racing bonuses for each betting style. Those include sign-up and deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and horse racing rebates that pay you for every bet you make!
The Best Online Racebooks
This is the list of the best online sportsbooks for playing the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby:
Pennsylvania Derby Handicapping
You’ve set up your betting account, so now it is time to meet the field for the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby and find out which horses are the best bets to win!
Pennsylvania Derby 2024 Field
This is the official field for the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds:
- Doc Sullivan (Michael Miceli/Jose Ortiz) - 12/1
- Seize the Grey (D. Wayne Lukas/Jaime Torres) - 5/1
- Lonesome Boy (Hugo Padilla/Adam Bowman) - 20/1
- Timeout (Bill Mott/Joel Rosario) - 10/1
- Protective (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 8/1
- Just Step On It (Louis Linder, Jr./Jose Lezcano) - 15/1
- Dragoon Guard (Brad Cox/Florent Geroux) - 9/5
- Unmatched Wisdom (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat) - 8/1
- Who’s the King (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Mike Smith) - 20/1
- Uncle Heavy (Robert Reid, Jr./Mychel Sanchez) - 12/1
- Stronghold (Phil D’Amato/Antonio Fresu) - 5/2
Keep in mind that the morning line is not a guarantee on the price you will get on each horse. Instead, it is the track’s best estimate about what the board will look like come post time. It can be a useful guide to horses expected to take money, but prices will not be final until post time. That means, if you bet at the track, your odds may plummet if there is late action on your pick.
Your best bet in the Pennsylvania Derby is to play the race at an online racebook. Online, you can get fixed odds on major races like the Pennsylvania Derby. You can lock in your odds just by betting, and then watch the race with complete confidence about how much you will be paid when your horse wins!
Pennsylvania Derby Top Contenders
Even though Dragoon Guard is likely to go off a defined favorite, he looks like a strong candidate in the Pennsylvania Derby. He won both the Indiana Derby and the West Virginia Derby on the front end. He looks like the speed of the speed in this spot, and that frontrunning style goes well at Parx. He can take pressure on the front end, a positive with some other pace, but should be able to lead them around.
For bettors looking for a price option, the improving Timeout appeals in the Pennsylvania Derby. He has run three straight strong races at 1 ⅛ miles, suggesting the distance is good for him. He has the tactical speed to sit in range without getting embroiled in a pace battle, and if that pace gets too hot he should be the one who picks them up at a square price.
Pennsylvania Derby Exotic Horses
Unmatched Wisdom didn’t quite have enough seasoning to be a factor in the Travers, but before that he started his career with three wins, including a pair at 1 ⅛ miles, the same distance as this race. He has tactical speed and drew outside the likely speed of the speed (Dragoon Guard), meaning he should be able to work out an advantageous outside-pressing trip.
Stronghold and Protective could round out exotics. Stronghold is mired to the outside, but he is already a Grade 1 winner at 1 ⅛ miles, can run well at multiple tracks, and had some trouble against Dragoon Guard last out. Protective has tactical speed, will have no trouble with the distance, and even as a maiden he showed that he was classy enough to snag money finishes in graded-stakes races.
2024 Pennsylvania Derby Free Picks
You know where you are going to bet the race online and you have gotten to know the leading contenders in the field. Now, all that’s left to do is place your wager!
These are the best bets for Saturday’s 2024 Pennsylvania Derby:
- $20 to win - #7 Dragoon Guard
- $1 exacta key - #7 Dragoon Guard with #4 Timeout, #8 Unmatched Wisdom
- $0.50 trifecta key - #7 Dragoon Guard with #4 Timeout, #8 Unmatched Wisdom, #11 Stronghold
- $0.10 superfecta key - #7 Dragoon Guard with #4 Timeout, #5 Protective, #8 Unmatched Wisdom, #11 Stronghold
Pennsylvania Derby Post Time
Post time for the 2024 Pennsylvania Derby is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. Eastern, 3:10 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday, September 21. It will be run as the 13th of 14 races on an excellent Parx card that also includes the Cotillion (G1) for top three-year-old fillies.
