Rich Strike

Rich Strike was the improbable winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby, which he won as an 80-1 longshot for trainer Eric Reed with journeyman rider Sonny Leon aboard.

Rich Strike broke his maiden in impressive fashion at Churchill Downs on Sept. 17, 2021, his second career start. The Keen Ice colt won a $30,000 maiden claiming race by 17 1/4 lengths, covering a mile in 1:36.84. Rich Strike was claimed out of that race by owner Richard Dawson on Eric Reed’s recommendation. In his next four starts during late 2021 and early 2022, he finished no better than third and was decisively defeated in each race. He did earn 1 Kentucky Derby qualifying point when finishing fourth in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park.

Rich Strike made his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway on Apr. 2, 2022. He made up ground on the inside late and finished third, beaten 5 3/4 lengths by the victorious Tiz the Bomb. Importantly, that performance earned Rich Strike 20 more qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Originally on the also-eligible list with 21 total points, Rich Strike drew into the Kentucky Derby the day before the race when Ethereal Road was scratched. That scratch turned out to be the break of a lifetime for Rich Strike, as he went on to pull-off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Kentucky Derby. He found his way to the rail from the extreme outside post under jockey Sonny Leon and took advantage of a very fast pace and a wide-open rail to shoot through on the inside and win the race at 80.80-1.

Dawson and Reed skipped a start in the May 21 Preakness Stakes in favor of bringing Rich Strike back for the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets on June 11. Just like in the Kentucky Derby, he rated towards the back of the pack in the early stages. However, unlike in the Derby, he had no closing punch off a moderate early pace and ended up sixth, beaten 13 1/4 lengths.

After the Belmont Stakes, Rich Strike trained up to the $1.25 million Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga for his next start on August 27. As is his customary style, Rich Strike raced back off the pace and did come with a closing move in the stretch but was ultimately to be denied second place by a neck and a nose and had to settle for fourth. He was sent off as the 10-1 sixth choice in the betting in a field of eight.

Rich Strike seems to be a completely different horse at Churchill Downs than when he races anywhere else, and his prowess under the Twin Spires was on display again when he made his next start in the Grade 2 $500,000 Lukas Classic on Oct. 1 against a loaded field that included older horses such as Art Collector, Happy Saver, and Hot Rod Charlie. Rich Strike took his customary spot off the pace in the Lukas Classic and came with a big closing move down the center of the track in the stretch. He briefly put a neck in front in deep stretch, but eventually succumbed to renewed pressure from Hot Rod Charlie and settled for second by a head.  Even though he was defeated, the effort stamped Rich Strike as something better than a one-hit Kentucky Derby wonder.

Rich Strike’s Derby win was one of the top stories in horse racing during spring-summer 2022. He brought owner Dawson of RED TR-Racing, Kentucky-based trainer Reed, and jockey Leon to the national spotlight after they competed mainly in the claiming and allowance levels at tracks such as Belterra Park and Mahoning Valley. The Kentucky-bred colt is out of the Smart Strike mare Gold Strike, a champion filly in Canada during her racing days.