Dragoon Guard

Dragoon Guard began his career with one race during his 2-year-old season with a second-place finish by a neck in a maiden race at Churchill Downs won by next-out stakes winner Otto the Conqueror on Sept. 22, 2023. He graduated in his next race, which came as a 3-year-old on April 21, 2024 in a seven-furlong race at Keeneland. He then stretched out to a mile versus winners for the first time and won again, scoring by 3 1/4 lengths in an allowance optional claiming race in the slop at Churchill Downs on June 2.

Dragoon Guard made his stakes debut on July 6 in the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby going 1 1/16 miles at Horseshoe Indiana. Sent off as the 1.90-1 second choice in a field of seven 3-year-olds in the Indiana Derby, Dragoon Guard went right to the front, was allowed to set comfortable fractions, and then had plenty left in the stretch run to increase his winning margin to 2 ½ lengths at the finish.

Following that impressive win, Dragoon Guard was entered in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby Aug. 4 at Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino. He was made the 7-10 post-time favorite in the 1 1/8-mile race, and once again was sent to the lead by jockey Florent Geroux. The physically imposing gray or roan colt shook off a challenge by Grade 3 winner Society Man in early stretch and held a rallying Dimatic at bay to once again win convincingly, this time by 2 ¾ lengths.

Dragoon Guard is trained by Brad Cox for Juddmonte. He was bred in Kentucky by the sire Arrogate out of the Grade 2-winning mare Filimbi, by Mizzen Mast. His second dam is Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes winner Flute.