Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike to skip Preakness, look toward Belmont

Rich Strike, who shocked the horse racing world by winning Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at 80-1 odds, is off the Triple Crown trail.

Owner Rick Dawson announced Thursday that Rich Strike will skip the Preakness on May 21 at Pimlico and aim for a return in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont on June 11.

Dawson said the plan before the Kentucky Derby was to give Rich Strike “more recovery time and rest and run in the Belmont or another race and stay on course to run with five or six weeks rest between races.

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“Obviously, with our tremendous effort and win in the Derby, it’s very, very tempting to alter our course and run in the Preakness at Pimlico, which would be a great honor for all our group. However, after much discussion and consideration with my trainer, Eric Reed, and a few others, we are going to stay with our plan of what’s best for Ritchie is what’s best for our group and pass on running in the Preakness and point toward the Belmont in approximately five weeks.”

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Rich Strike scored the second-biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history Saturday. Donerail, at 91-1 odds in 1913, is the longest shot to win the race.

Why is Rich Strike not running in the Preakness?

Reed did not immediately return a call seeking comment. On Sunday morning, he was asked if he felt an obligation to run in the Preakness.

“My obligation is to Rich Strike first,” Reed said. “And if Rich is ready to go and I think it’s the right thing for him, we’re going to go. Nothing against any of these Triple Crown races, but I don’t get these horses 10 or 12 a year to try to get one of them. I need him around a long time. … I want to go. That’s naturally what we want to do.”

At 1 3/16 miles, the Preakness is the shortest of the Triple Crown races and least likely to complement Rich Strike’s closing style. In contrast, the 1 ½-mile Belmont has the reputation of being a closer’s race.

On Sunday, Reed expressed concern about the two-week gap between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

“I’ve never been hard on him,” Reed said. “I space my workouts 10, 12 days instead of seven. I don’t like to run him (back) quick.”

Which horses are set to run in the Preakness?

Preakness officials have a list of 10 horses considered “probable” or “possible” for the race, including the rest of the Kentucky Derby superfecta — second-place Epicenter, third-place Zandon and fourth-place Simplification.

Wood Memorial runner-up Early Voting had enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby but was held back by trainer Chad Brown in order to run in the Preakness. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas announced Wednesday that Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath would run in the Preakness.

Rich Strike will become the second Kentucky Derby winner to skip the Preakness since Justify’s Triple Crown run in 2018. Country House never raced again after winning the Derby via disqualification in 2019.

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Rich Strike sire, race history

A son of Keen Ice out of the Smart Strike mare Gold Strike, Rich Strike was bred at Calumet Farm. After finishing 10th in his first race last August on turf at Ellis Park, he was claimed by Dawson for $30,000 after winning a Sept. 17 race by 17 ¼ lengths at Churchill.

Since then he had raced five times without ever finishing in the top two before winning the Kentucky Derby. He finished 5 ¾ lengths behind Tiz the Bomb in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, earning the 20 points he needed to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

Rich Strike has a record of 2-0-3 in eight career starts and earnings of $1,971,289, including the $1.86 million Derby paycheck.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Preakness field: Derby winner Rich Strike to skip race, go to Belmont