Perryville Stakes 2024 Analysis

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 3, $300,000 Perryville will be run at Keeneland on Saturday, October 19, 2024. The full field of sophomores will travel seven panels on the main track and Book’em Danno is the 2-1 morning line favorite. The Grade 3 Perryville goes as the seventh race on Saturday with a scheduled post time of 4:12 p.m. EDT.

Perryville Stakes Analysis

#3 Knightsbridge (3-1) romped by 10 lengths in his career debut last November, and cruised by 9 lengths over a next-out winner as the favorite in his second career start at Gulfstream Park March 28. Bill Mott’s Nyquist colt sports three Saratoga bullets for this and can get a nice forward position in a race lacking early speed.

#5 Book’em Danno (2-1) was part of the trifecta in all nine starts (six wins). He won the Woody Stephens (G1) June 8, captured the Jersey Shore by a nose July 19, and rallied for the show in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) Aug. 24. He used to show tactical speed but has been a closer since returning from Dubai. Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the call and he sports a pair of Monmouth bullets for this.

#10 Locked (7-2) finally gets his career going again for Todd Pletcher. He won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) last year and landed the show when last seen in the BC Juvenile (G1) last November. This is his first start in almost a year and he sports a pair of bullets for this at Saratoga. He is cross-entered in an allowance race at Aqueduct on Saturday.

#7 Patriot Spirit (15-1) cruised to a big win in the Illinois Derby in April, and picked up where he left off in a romping optional-claiming dirt sprint win as the chalk Sept. 7. He earned quality numbers in his last two wins and might be this good.

#1 Henro (12-1) went last-to-first in an extended sprint stakes race at Churchill Downs when last seen on Sept. 21. The competent late running sprinter is getting faster and will try to get involved from off the pace.

#9 Dilger (20-1) completed the trifecta in his last two dirt sprints. He stalked, led, and ended up about 1 1/4 lengths behind Henro last time, and he drilled a half-mile bullet for this Oct. 11. 

Perryville Stakes Wagers

#3 to win

Exacta box 3-5

Trifecta 3-5/1-3-5-7-9-10/1-7-9

Perryville Stakes Video