Dragoon Guard marches to the Gr.3 West Virginia Derby

Homebred Arrogate colt Dragoon Guard made all to win the Gr.3 West Virginia Derby on Sunday (4th August), his second Graded victory.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 4th August 2024:

Make that four in the row. Dragoon Guard, who last time out won the Gr.3 Indiana Derby, added another state's Derby to his resume on Sunday night in taking the Gr.3 West Virginia Derby in gate to wire fashion to stretch his win streak to four.

Raced just once as a two-year-old, the juvenile did well to finish second by a neck to stakes winner Otto the Conquerer at Churchill Downs during the September meet. Sidelined after that start, he returned as three-year-old in April, breaking his maiden at Keeneland before taking his show on the road, winning an optional claimer at Churchill in early June and the aforementioned Gr.3 Indiana Derby last month all by clear margins.

The 3-5 favorite in this scratched-down field of six, Dragoon Guard easily assumed the front under regular pilot Florent Geroux after out-sprinting only a brief pace challenge from a pair of runners to his outside. Stretched out to a single-file line for the run up the backstretch, Dragoon Guard rated through fractions of :23.32 and :47.62 before rivals began to bunch up behind him led by Society Man who looked to come through against the rail. That door was slammed shut, killing that runner's momentum now shifted to the outside and Dragoon Guard was left to outrun only a late-charging Dimatic who had to settle for a valiant second.

“It was a solid performance,” said winning trainer Brad Cox, who won his first West Virginia Derby. “He took another step forward, and we're very proud of him. We're not sure about the future schedule for him. We'll have to discuss that with the owner.”

From the last crop of the great Arrogate, Dragoon Guard is one of is sire's 25 stakes winners. First dam Filimbi was a stakes winner in France and Graded winner and Grade 1-placed in the United States. From five foals to race, she's produced four winners, including this runner's full-brother, with Dragoon Guard being the most talented of the bunch to date. Second dam Flute, who took both the Gr.1 Kentucky Oaks and the Gr. Alabama Stakes, also produced the dams of Graded winner Current, Gr.1 winner Weep No More and Graded winner and Grade 1-placed Qabala.