Derby Winner Rich Strike Stretches Legs Upon NY Arrival

Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Rich Strike  arrived in New York at 1:00 a.m. ET June 1 to prepare for the June 11 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Belmont Park.

Trained by Eric Reed for Rick Dawson's RED TR-Racing, the son of Keen Ice   shipped to New York by van from Kentucky and will be overseen by Reed for the duration of this stay as he readies for the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown.

Rich Strike, with exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes up, visited Belmont's dirt training track at 9:30 a.m. with the accompaniment of outrider Juan Galvez and his pony Stormy, making two laps the wrong way around. 

"He settled down a lot the second time round. A lot of that was trying to get him used to the pony. You could see the farther he went the better he accepted the pony," Reed said. "I think by the end of the week they'll be good buddies and on race day he needs a buddy.

"He'll sleep the rest of the day. I know he's tired, he just doesn't show it," Reed added.

Reed said Rich Strike will settle into a comfortable routine at Belmont going forward, schooling in the paddock in the morning before training on the main track.

"He's so routine-oriented. We're in a new place, so we can set his routine here and in two days, he'll be fine," Reed said.

Rich Strike breezed five-eighths solo in :59 flat May 30 between races on the main track in front of the Churchill Downs crowd, working swiftly under Lagunes and galloping out strong. 

Reed said Rich Strike won't need to breeze again ahead of the Belmont Stakes.

"We might let him run down the lane Thursday or Friday," Reed said. "He gallops faster than a lot of horses breeze. He really rolls around there. That will be up to Gabriel on Thursday or Friday, depending how he's doing. I just want him to get his footing on that track and watch how he moves and see how he handles it." 

Rich Strike, who made the "Run for the Roses" field following the late scratch of Ethereal Road , exited the outermost post 20 under Sonny Leon in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby and trailed 17 lengths behind the pacesetting Summer Is Tomorrow . 

Leon maneuvered Rich Strike closer to contention approaching the final turn and took an inside route in upper stretch before angling outside and taking aim to the inside of the leading pair of Epicenter  and Zandon . Full of run, he edged clear in the final strides to post a three-quarter length score over Epicenter at odds of 80-1.

Rich Strike's connections decided to skip the May 21 Preakness Stakes (G1) won by Early Voting  at Pimlico Race Course to give the colt more time between starts.

"We didn't plan on the Preakness because we didn't plan on winning the Derby," Reed said. "We just wanted to show at the Derby that we could compete at the Belmont and then he wins the Derby, so then we had to think about it. But I go back to the race at New Orleans (the Gun Runner Stakes) and I know what happened there when he was out of routine and I knew the Preakness would be a disaster.

"All his races have to be planned out with distance and the type of track because there's some tracks where it's real difficult to close at a mile and a quarter, even," Reed added. "Everything we do has to be thought out real good. His running style makes it hard to win any race and everyone expects him to win them all now."

Reed said if Rich Strike continues to move forward their long-term target would be the Aug. 27 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

"The owners always wanted to run him in the Travers and I think it's a good spot for him," Reed said. "If all the horses are freshened and ready that could be a heck of a field in the Travers with Epicenter, Zandon, Early Voting and whoever comes out of this race. It could be a great, great race."