Rich Strike, claimed for $30,000 out of a winning effort in September, made the Kentucky Derby field following the late scratch of Ethereal Road. Sent to post at odds of 80-1 in the “Run for the Roses”, Rich Strike exited the outermost post 20 under Sonny Leon in the 1 1/4-mile test and trailed 17 lengths behind the pacesetting Summer Is Tomorrow before launching his unlikely run to victory.
Rich Strike, bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, is by Keen Ice, who finished third in the 2015 Belmont Stakes and subsequently bested Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Grade 1 Travers that summer at Saratoga Race Course. The Kentucky Derby winner is out of the graded stakes-winning Smart Strike mare Gold Strike - a Manitoba-bred, who won the 2005 Woodbine Oaks en route to Sovereign Award honors as Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in Canada.
Trained by Eric Reed for Rick Dawson's RED TR-Racing, Rich Strike boasts a record of 8-2-0-3 for field-best purse earnings of $1,971,289.
Gambling Problems? The New York Racing Association encourages responsible wagering. If gambling is a problem for you or someone you care about, help is available 24 hours a day. Scan here to talk with someone now about your gambling. Or call toll-free 1-877-8-HOPE-NY.