Rich Strike will not run in the Preakness Stakes after his major upset to win this past Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, keeping horse racing from having a Triple Crown winner for a fourth consecutive year.
Owner Richard Dawson made the stunning announcement Thursday, 10 days before the race in Maryland.
Dawson said he and trainer Eric Reed agreed to stick with the initial plan for Rich Strike and rest him for five weeks. Rich Strike, at 80-1 odds, was the biggest long shot to win the Kentucky Derby in more than a century. Only Donerail in 1913 paid more to win.
The plan now is to have Rich Strike ready to run in the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 11, the final leg of the Triple Crown series. The Preakness Stakes is May 21 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, and Dawson said it was wise for the colt to get extra rest and not face the short turnaround for the second leg.
“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,” Dawson said in a news release. “However, after much discussion and consideration we are going to stay with our plan of what’s best for Ritchie.