Thoroughbred horse racing can be exciting and fun to watch. I like to watch the top graded horses compete in the big stake races like the Breeders Cup and the Triple Crown races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes). The Belmont Stakes the last leg of the Triple Crown series will be run later today at Belmont racetrack in New York. The field includes the long shot derby winner Rich Strike.
When Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 80 to 1, it was the biggest upset in the history of the derby. To put that in perspective it was like a donkey beating horses. We do not know if Rich Strike is a great horse as the colt had never won a major stakes race before the derby win.
I have my suspicion about Rich Strike and it centers around the connections opting not to run the horse in the Preakness. Their excuse was that they wanted to rest the horse for the Belmont Stakes. While that sounds plausible, that decision raises questions. Almost all horses that have won the derby will compete in the the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness. If the horse wins that race it opens up the prospect of the horse running for the Triple Crown. Very few horses have won that coveted prize.
Winning the Triple Crown creates the potential for the connections increasing their wealth exponentially. First, there is the big purse of over a million dollars, then there is a lot of money to be made when the horse is retired to stud farm. His progenies will be sold for thousands or millions.
So, why did Rich Strike connections not give themselves as chance at winning the Triple Crown? Horse racing is not free of corruption and under the table deals. Races can be fixed and horses can be drugged. Bob Baffert, one of the most successful trainers won the derby in 2021 and his horse was later disqualified because of a positive drug test. Is it possible that Rich Strike too could have been drugged with some new drug that cannot be detected with current testing technology? We don’t know the answer to that question. What is known though is that horses that use drugs are prone to health problems presumably because they overextend themselves.
If Rich Strike derby win was the result of the horse being drugged, then it would make sense not to race the horse in the Preakness. To do so the horse would have to be drugged again and that would certainly jeopardize the horse’s health.
The Belmont Stakes race will answer questions if Rich Strike is the real deal or a fluke. If he wins, he will reward his bettors and connections handsomely, but not at 80 to 1 odd. If he loses it will be a poor strike for Rich Strike.