Preakness Stakes 2022: What to know about second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown

The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown but this year any chance of a thoroughbred winning all three events has been nixed.

Rich Strike’s handlers announced last week that the Kentucky Derby winner will not go forth with the Preakness Stakes, opting to give the colt some rest ahead of June’s Belmont Stakes.

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Rick Dawson, the owner of RED TR-Racing who owns the colt, released a statement, saying their plans were always contingent on what was going to happen with them at the Kentucky Derby. While the win made things more tempting to race for the Triple Crown, the team decided against it.

“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,” Dawson’s statement read.

“Obviously, with our tremendous effort & win in the Derby it’s very, very tempting to alter 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 of what’s best for Ritchie is what’s best for our group, and pass on running in the Preakness, and point toward the Belmont in approximately 5 weeks.”

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Rich Strike leads Epicenter and Zandon in the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, May 7, 2022,…