There will not be a Triple Crown winner this year, with 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike not part of the field of this Saturday's 2022 Preakness Stakes, Usually, a horse that won the first leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs will take a stab at history by racing at Pimlico Race Course, but that's just not the case this year, with Rich Strike owner Rick Dawson opting to rest his prized three-year-old colt.
From a statement released by Dawson over a week before the 2022 Preakness Stakes, it appears that Rich Strike could be making a return to Triple Crown action in the third leg at Belmont Stakes.
“Our original plan for Rich Strike was contingent on the KY Derby, should we not run in the Derby we would point toward the Preakness, should we run in the Derby, subject to the race outcome & the condition of our horse, we would give him more recovery time & rest and run in the Belmont, or another race and stay on course to run with 5 or 6 weeks rest between races.”
Rich Strike absolutely stunned everyone at the Derby, winning the Run for the Roses despite being the longest shot on the field. It was an especially memorable race, to say the least, given the odds against Rich Strike winning. That's to mention that Rich Strike was only a late addition to the field, only earning a ticket to the race after a withdrawal.
The last time a healthy Kentucky Derby winner skipped the Preakness Stakes was in 1985 (Spend a Buck).
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