Rich Strike pulled off an 80-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, and on Thursday his connections came with another shocker, taking the colt out of consideration for the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, on May 21 at Pimlico. He will instead await the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, on June 11 in New York. Both Rick Dawson, who owns Rich Strike, and Eric Reed, the colt’s trainer, said they believed running back in two weeks was not in the best interests of Rich Strike. They said giving him five weeks between starts was more suitable. Their decision is reminiscent of what was done 40 years ago with Gato Del Sol, who won the Derby and then skipped the Preakness to run in the Belmont. Gato Del Sol, trained by Eddie Gregson, finished second in the Belmont. His decision to bypass the Preakness incurred the wrath of Chick Lang, then the general manager of Pimlico, who had a goat placed in the stall in the Pimlico stakes barn usually reserved for the Derby winner. Three years later, in 1985, Spend a Buck skipped the Preakness after winning the Derby to chase a lucrative bonus at Garden State Park tied to the Jersey Derby. He won. Those developments in the 1980s begat a bonus for Triple Crown participation, which since has been discontinued. :: Bet The Preakness with confidence! Join DRF Bets and get a $250 deposit match bonus, $10 free bet, and access to FREE DRF Formulator! The last Derby winner at the time of Preakness who missed the Preakness was Country House in 2019. He never raced again after the Derby. Similarly, Grindstone, the 1996 Derby winner, suffered a career-ending injury in the Derby and never raced again. Last year, Medina Spirit crossed the wire first in the Derby. He finished third in the Preakness. Medina Spirit later was disqualified from the Derby victory owing to a medication violation, placing Mandaloun first. Mandaloun did not run in the Preakness. So, counting Country House, Mandaloun, and Rich Strike, three of the last four official winners of the Derby will have skipped the Preakness. Dawson released a statement through the Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Pimlico, saying “what’s best for Ritchie,” his nickname for Rich Strike, “is what’s best for our group.” Dawson said Rich Strike thus “will pass on running in the Preakness, and point toward the Belmont.” Dawson said that prior to the Derby, the “race outcome” and “the condition of our horse” would drive his schedule, saying if Rich Strike “needed more recovery time,” the Belmont was appropriate. “Obviously, with our tremendous effort & win in the Derby,” the statement read, “it’s very tempting to alter our course & run in the Preakness at Pimlico, which would be a great honor for all our group, however, after much discussion & consideration with my trainer, Eric Reed & a few others, we are going to stay with our plan.” Reed, echoing Dawson’s statement, told Daily Racing Form, “We always want to do what’s right by the horse.” “We felt like maybe the Preakness just isn’t the right fit for the horse,” Reed said. “The horse is fine. We’ll look forward to running in the Belmont.” Rich Strike was the longest shot in the Derby, and was the second-longest shot to win in the race’s 148-year history. He only gained entry to the Derby at scratch time the previous day, when Ethereal Road was withdrawn, allowing Rich Strike to get in from the also-eligible list. He started from the outside post, 20, and rallied from 18th in the final half-mile under a flawless ride from jockey Sonny Leon. :: Get ready for the Preakness with DRF past performances, picks, and betting strategies! Rich Strike came into the Derby having won just 1 of 7 starts, that a maiden-claiming race Sept. 17 at Churchill Downs, his second lifetime start, from which Dawson and Reed claimed him for $30,000 from his owner and breeder, Calumet Farm, and trainer Joe Sharp. Rich Strike lost his next five starts, including the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds, in which he finished 14 lengths behind Epicenter, who was the Derby favorite and finished second to Rich Strike. Following the Gun Runner, Rich Strike lost three straight races at Turfway Park on the all-weather surface there. His final prep was in the Jeff Ruby, five weeks before the Derby. He will now have similar spacing to the Belmont. Even before Rich Strike’s withdrawal, Epicenter had been tabbed as the Preakness favorite by Pimlico’s line maker, Keith Feustle. Zandon, the third-place finisher in the Derby, is still on the fence for the Preakness. Trainer Chad Brown on Thursday said he would have further discussions with owner Jeff Drown, but said he was “leaning against running him.” On Thursday afternoon, trainer Doug O'Neill said Happy Jack, who finished 14th in the Derby, would run in the Preakness. He said Tyler Gaffalione would have the mount. 147th Preakness, Grade 1, $1.5 million, 1 3/16 miles, May 21 Horse Trainer Jockey Last Race Creative Minister Kenny McPeek Brian Hernandez, Jr. CD alw, 1st Early Voting Chad Brown Jose Ortiz Wood Memorial, 2nd Epicenter Steve Asmussen Joel Rosario Ky Derby, 2nd Happy Jack Doug O'Neill Tyler Gaffalione Ky Derby, 14th Rattle N Roll Kenny McPeek Corey Lanerie Blue Grass, 6th Secret Oath D. Wayne Lukas Luis Saez Ky Oaks, 1st Shake Em Loose Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon Charlie Marquez Tesio, 3rd Simplification Antonio Sano John Velazquez Ky Derby, 4th Skippylongstocking Saffie Joseph, Jr. Junior Alvarado Wood Memorial, 3rd Un Ojo Ricky Courville Ramon Vazquez Ark Derby, 8th Zandon Chad Brown Flavien Prat Ky Derby, 3rd – additional reporting by David Grening and Marty McGee