Photo:

Bill Denver / EQUI-PHOTO

Brad Cox came to Parx last September for the Pennsylvania Derby full of confidence, and Saudi Crown validated those beliefs with a
front-running victory.

Cox brings another serious player for this year’s $1 million
renewal with morning-line favorite Dragoon Guard, who gives the Kentucky-based
horseman a big chance to ride away from Bensalem, Pa., with another Grade 1
victory and a big payday.

“I’m hoping to. That’s the plan,” Cox said Thursday. “We’ll
see.”

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Dragoon Guard brings a four-race win streak into Saturday’s
Penn Derby, including back-to-back scores in the Indiana Derby (G3) at
Horseshoe Indianapolis in early July and the West Virginia Derby (G3) in early
August at Mountaineer. He’s the 9-5 favorite on the morning line set by Parx’s racing
director David Osojnak.

“The gray horse is doing great,” Cox said. “He’s done
everything we’ve asked of him this year. He’s taken a step forward every time,
and I think another step forward should put him in the winner’s circle. He’s a
horse that looks like he can handle the distance. He proved that last time in
West Virginia. He’s had plenty of time to recover from that, his works have
been steady, and he’s giving us a lot of confidence that he’s able to win a
Grade 1.”

A fifth straight win would yield a more than $500,000
first-place check, Grade 1 status for Juddmonte’s regally bred son of Arrogate
and just the second back-to-back victories in the Penn Derby for a trainer and
jockey team.

Cox and Florent Géroux, who have teamed to win scores of
major stakes together, try to match Bob Baffert and Mike Smith as only
trainer-jockey back-to-back winners of the race. Baffert and Smith teamed to
win the 2017 renewal with West Coast and 2018 edition with McKinzie.

Major victories for the Cox and Geroux team include three
renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Idiomatic in 2023 and Monomoy Girl
in 2018 and 2020 plus two editions of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with
Shedaresthedevil in 2020 and Monomoy Girl in 2018.

Bred by Juddmonte, Dragoon Guard is out of Grade 2 winner
Filimbi, a daughter of Mizzen Mast out of Kentucky Oaks and Alabama winner
Flute. Dragoon Guard won going the Penn Derby 1 1/8-mile last out in the West
Virginia Derby, which he won by 2 3/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite.

Cox briefly considered giving Dragoon Guard a Grade 1 try in
the Travers Stakes in late August at Saratoga after the colt’s 2 1/2-length win
over fellow Pennsylvania Derby runner Stronghold in the Indiana Derby. He did
not give into the temptation and opted instead for the West Virginia Derby with
an eye on Parx.

“Listen, I don’t know if he was ready to face those horses
at that time,” Cox said. “He could. He has the potential to be every bit as
good as those horses. Obviously, he only had the one run as a 2-year-old. He
didn’t get his season started until April, so he was a little behind those
horses with regards to seasoning. We’ve brought him along the right way, and
now he has a big opportunity in a Grade 1.”

The Penn Derby at 6:10 p.m. EDT is the 13th of 14 races
Saturday at Parx. The first post is at 11:35 a.m.