Pennsylvania Derby Preview for 2024

Horse Racing Featured

It’s going to be another busy weekend of horse racing action, and there will be several tracks hosting big events. A number of these horse races stand out right away, including the Pennsylvania Derby taking place at Parx Racing. 

There are 11 horses set to run in this event, and it’s a field that is restricted to three-year old horses. Those in the event will have to cover 1 ⅛ miles, and that will allow all of the horses some time to make a move. 

Here is a look at the field for this weekend, and some of the betting odds that should stand out right away. 

Three Big Favorites

Since we are near the end of the horse racing season, most of the biggest names in this field have already had some sort of success in 2024. Betting odds don’t always determine how things will play out in an event, but there are three big betting favorites for the Pennsylvania Derby.

Stronghold comes into this race as the betting favorite at +250, and it’s a horse that has already picked up two impressive wins this year. Those odds are going to make Stronghold the favorite this weekend, but there are others that will be trying to run the favorite down. 

Dragoon Guard actually has the next best odds to win the Pennsylvania Derby as those odds are now sitting at +450. This horse went on a four-race winning streak earlier this year, and its trainer will be trying to get that done again. 

Seize the Grey is the other big name in this race, and it wasn’t that long ago that this horse was winning the Preakness Stakes. It’s going to take a similar effort to win this weekend, but the odds at +500 suggest that Seize the Grey is not the favorite. 

Others to Watch

All 11 horses in the Pennsylvania Derby are there for a reason, but there are some horses that appear to be stronger than others. Protective and Unmatched Wisdom are both running this weekend, and they currently have betting odds set at +800 to come away with a win. 

The odds do start to fall off a bit from that point, but you still want to keep a close eye on others to come up with a win. Uncle Heavy at +1200 and Just Step On It at +1500 are the two biggest underdogs that you should consider if you are betting on the Pennsylvania Derby. 

Go With an Upset

It has been a year full of upsets in the horse racing industry, and this is going to be another event in which an underdog gets it done. Betting against the three big favorites isn’t going to be easy, but there is more value in finding a better option. 

Unmatched Wisdom is a horse that has proven that it can run down others, and that will be something to monitor in this race. There is a ton of value in getting Unmatched Wisdom at +800 as well, and that is the way to go.