Penn Derby: D’Amato hopes traffic is smooth for Stronghold

Trainer Phil D’Amato sounded a bit like a handicapper when he talked about Dragoon Guard.

That’s right. Not his horse Stronghold. Looking ahead to the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, he was asked about the likelihood that morning-line favorite Dragoon Guard will provide the early speed Saturday at Parx. That was what happened July 6 when Dragoon Guard led at every call to beat stalking Stronghold by 2 1/2 lengths in the Indiana Derby (G3).

“He’s a big, good-looking horse,” D’Amato said this week before he flew east from his Santa Anita home base. “We got a really good look at him in Indiana. He’s a gorgeous-looking horse.”

OK, that sounded more like an appreciative fan than a player. But wait for it. The X’s and O’s were not far behind.

“He had things his own way,” D’Amato said. “He just was able to walk the dog on the lead there, and we were stuck on the inside in the box with nowhere to go. By the time we were able to get out, he had already kicked on and was long gone.”

Upon further review, Florent Géroux looked like a driver with the top down on the convertible, cruising Dragoon Guard at the speed limit in the fast lane through fractions of 23.74, 47.24, 1:10.77 and 1:35.54 on the way to a final time of 1:42.26.

Meanwhile, Antonio Fresu must have felt like the dude stuck behind the 18-wheeler, gripping and fidgeting and slowing and speeding up and looking for a better lane. And his ride was overheating, too. By the time Stronghold found clean air, Dragoon Guard was flying down the exit ramp in the distance.

For their rematch at Parx, maybe it is a blessing in disguise that Stronghold got drawn widest of the 11 3-year-olds entered to go 1 1/8 miles around this particular main track on what promises to be another sunny day.

“I put it this way,” D’Amato said on Horse Racing Nation’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. “It’s not going to hurt him in terms of getting into traffic trouble. He should be out there. He’s a horse who usually pops out of the gate really well, so I think that should help Antonio find himself getting into good position going into the first turn.”

Stronghold and Dragoon Guard have much deeper résumés than just that one day at Hoosier Indianapolis. Coming into the Penn Derby as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, Stronghold is a Ghostzapper colt bred and owned by Eric and Sharon Waller. Other than his seventh-place outcome as a 35-1 long shot in the Kentucky Derby, he has three wins and four seconds. His biggest victory to date came in April, when he pulled off a mild upset of Bob Baffert’s Imagination in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).

Dragoon Guard, the 9-5 favorite in Saturday’s program, has won all four of his 2024 starts. He would have an undefeated career record if not for his loss by a neck in his September debut at Churchill Downs. Trained by Brad Cox for Juddmonte, the son of Arrogate followed his Indiana Derby victory with another last month in the West Virginia Derby (G3). The Penn Derby will be his first time testing Grade 1 waters.

Saturday’s field also includes Preakness winner Seize the Grey (5-1), who could keep Stronghold company just off the early lead. Parx will be the seventh course on which this other son of Arrogate has raced for 89-year-old training legend D. Wayne Lukas.

Stronghold will go one better. After Ellis Park, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Los Alamitos, Sunland Park, Santa Anita, Churchill again and Horseshoe Indianapolis, this will be his eighth different port of call.

“He’s a horse we found that seems to ship very well,” D’Amato said. “Shipping to Kentucky, I thought it was a respectable effort in the Derby. He shipped to Indiana, he ran well. I thought he got in a little bit of traffic trouble there. He seems to have shipped well to Parx. ... I think he’s a horse that doesn’t mind the frequent-flyer miles.”

To that end, Stronghold must have executive-platinum status with FedEx. D’Amato said he enjoyed favorable travel this week.

“He shipped in Tuesday. It actually was pretty smooth,” he said. “Usually, there’s delays shipping in, but he had a direct flight to Newark and then vanned 66 miles to Parx. He got in there in a nice time. He had his afternoon feed, and then (Wednesday) morning he looked great.”

Assistant trainer Euriel Mejia and exercise rider Tony Gutiérrez took the trip with Stronghold back east early this week. D’Amato followed Thursday carrying hopes that there would be no impeding traffic for him or his colt.

“Just make sure this race is run with an honest pace in front,” D’Amato said. “If that’s the case, then that should help my horse at the end of the day.”