The surprise winner of this year's Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike will face older horses for the first time in the Oct. 1 Lukas Classic (Grade 2) at Churchill Downs, trainer Eric Reed confirmed to the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday.
Reed's other option with the 3-year-old son of Keen Ice was the G1 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 24, but the trainer remains disinclined to ship the colt up to Parx.
“I've thought and thought about going to Parx, but I just can't make it work with the travel,” Reed told DRF. “I'd rather go there than run against Hot Rod Charlie (expected to target the Lukas), but I don't have much choice. The timing and the travel are what makes it so difficult. Maybe if the Parx race had been another week or so later we could've swung it, but there's just no way.”
Rich Strike posted his first work since finishing fourth in the G1 Travers on Tuesday, covering five furlongs in an easy 1:02.40 at Reed's Mercury Training Center.
Read more at the Daily Racing Form.
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