Kentucky Derby winner rich Strike may not race at Preakness Stakes - NPR

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Sonny Leon and rich Strike won the 148th Kentucky Derby closing weekend. instead of racing at the Preakness Stakes, the 2nd stop of the Triple Crown sequence, the horse will get some much crucial leisure earlier than the third race at the Belmont Stakes in manhattan. Carmen Mandato/Getty photos cover caption

toggle caption Carmen Mandato/Getty pictures

Sonny Leon and prosperous Strike won the 148th Kentucky Derby ultimate weekend. in its place of racing at the Preakness Stakes, the second cease of the Triple Crown series, the horse will get some a good deal crucial leisure before the third race on the Belmont Stakes in big apple.

Carmen Mandato/Getty pictures

wealthy Strike, the underdog entry who accomplished first at this yr's Kentucky Derby, won't race at the Preakness Stakes in Maryland subsequent weekend, forfeiting his chances of winning the Triple Crown, one of the crucial coveted titles in horseracing.

After speaking together with his crew, prosperous Strike's owner Rick Dawson pointed out his champion race horse will now not run within the Preakness Stakes subsequent Saturday, the second stop of the Triple Crown at Pimlico Race route in Baltimore. as an alternative, the red TR-Racing team will focal point on the collection' third stop, the Belmont Stakes in ny, scheduled to take place in June.

The crew will comply with through with a plan that become set in place earlier than prosperous Strike, also called Ritchie, delivered one of the vital surest upsets in Kentucky Derby historical past ultimate weekend.

"certainly, with our large effort & win in the Derby or not it's very, very tempting to change our route & run in the Preakness at Pimlico, which would be a great honor for all our community," Dawson mentioned in a statement Thursday. "youngsters, after lots dialogue & consideration with my coach, Eric Reed & a few others, we are going to stay with our plan of what's most appropriate for Ritchie is what's highest quality for our community."

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With Ritchie dropping out of Pimlico, there should be no Triple Crown winner this 12 months. best 13 horses have been gained all three stops of the sequence, an fulfillment favourite to many if no longer all to be the surest title in aggressive horseracing.

Dawson stated the plan has at all times been that if Ritchie ran in Kentucky — depending on the result and the horse's situation — he would bypass the Preakness Stakes and as a substitute push for Belmont or a different race with 5 or 6 weeks of rest below his belt.

Ritchie secured his region in the race just one day before the Derby. another horse, Ethereal road, dropped out, which gave prosperous Strike the chance he essential to pull off his upset. wealthy Strike and his jockey, Sonny Leon, waited unless the very conclusion of the race to make their movement, while the favorites, Epicenter and Zandon, took an early lead, in response to a Kentucky Derby news unlock.

nobody saw it coming when prosperous Strike made his ruin for the win, overtaking Epicenter and Zandon within the remaining stretch.

"I did not understand if he could win however I had a superb feeling with him," Leon noted in a information unencumber. "I needed to wait unless the stretch and that's what I did. I waited after which the rail opened up. I wasn't nervous, i used to be excited. no one knows my horse like i know my horse."

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