Eddie D Stakes 2024 Picks

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 2, $750,000 Eddie D Stakes will be run at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, September 28, 2024, and this is a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The eleven entrants will travel 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course and New York shipper Big Invasion is the 3-1 morning line favorite. The Eddie D goes as the eighth race on the California Crown program with a scheduled post time of 7:07 p.m. EDT.

Eddie D Stakes Analysis

#11 Big Invasion (3-1) exits a late running win in the Harvey Pack Stakes at Saratoga. Christophe Clement’s shipper is 9-for-20 on turf and Flavien Prat takes the call. He rallied to miss by a neck in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup turf Sprint last fall and he will try to get involved late.

#5 King of Gosford (15-1) shipped to this country and rattled off three straight local turf sprint wins earlier this year. He stretched out and finished a troubled 6th of 11 as the beaten favorite in the Oceanside on July 20, and rallied for the place in the La Jolla at a flat mile on turf on Aug. 4. He is back in a preferred sprint and reconnects with his winning rider Antonio Fresu. Phil D’Amato’s sophomore colt is a 2-time stakes winner at this course and distance.

#2 First Peace (4-1) stretched out and got a great trip behind strong fractions in the restricted Wickerr on July 21, and stalked wide from an outer post and came up empty as the beaten favorite in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 31. He likes this turf course (10 3-5-1) and was part of the exacta in all five starts at this distance. He can bounce back for profitable route-to-sprint trainer Mark Glatt.

#1 Johnny Podres (7-2) exits back-to-back runner-up finishes at five panels on turf. He has a good overall record at this course and distance, and he reunites with Umberto Rispoli and will try to get involved from off the pace. 

Eddie D Stakes Video