“After much consideration, I have revised my plan for Rich Strike (KY Derby Champ #148/2022) and will not enter him in Keeneland Sales auction on Friday, 11/17/23,” a statement from Dawson read.

“At this time Rich Strike will continue his stay and light exercise at Margaux Farm. I would like to thank my family, friends and the folks at Keeneland Sales for their support and guidance in this process. I will make further announcements at such time it deemed to be appropriate.”

Rich Strike, last seen finishing a well-beaten fifth in the GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs May 5, was subsequently transferred from the barn of trainer Eric Reed to Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

Dawson told TDN's Bill Finley in late September that Rich Strike was rehabbing from a tendon issue and could target the GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 27.

He was consigned to KEENOV as Hip 4001A by Candy Meadows Sales, agent for RED TR-Racing LLC.

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Rich Strike last raced on May 5 when a distant fifth in the GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs. He was subsequently transferred from the barn of trainer Eric Reed to Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

“The bigger races we are pointing toward would include the Pegasus,” Dawson said. “That would be the first Grade I race we might go after, but he could race before that in a less-competitive race.”

Dawson said that shortly after the Alysheba, Rich Strike was sent to the Rood and Riddle clinic as a precautionary measure and it was then that it was discovered that he was suffering from problems with his tendons in both front legs.

“He's rehabbing from some issues he had with his front tendons, left front and right front,” Dawson said. “Both have recovered extremely well. Dr. Bramlage at Rood and Riddle did all the work. He's had ultrasounds, X-rays, etc. and he is doing really well. At times, his front suspensory tendons would get inflamed and get slightly damaged. They never tore but scar tissue built up in both legs. There was scar tissue where tendon fibers should have been. Through his treatment and exercise, certain feed, etc., that scar tissue started to reverse itself. It's been a long process but, basically, the tendons were able to get back to normal. We are very fortunate that he did not tear a tendon while training or running. I'm extremely happy that this was caught back in May.”

Rich Strike is currently under light training at Margaux Farm in Midway, Kentucky.

“He is jogging one day, galloping the next,” Dawson said. “We'll be there for another few weeks and at that point Bill Mott and I will discuss where we go from there. Due to his lengthy rehab and our choice to be very conservative and take our time with him so he could get back on track and so that we can give him every opportunity to come back at his best, we are looking at sometime in November for him to begin more serious training with Bill. Maybe we can catch a race in late December.”

It's been a rough go for Rich Strike since he won the 2022 Derby. He's gone 0-for-6 since and in his last two starts, the Alysheba and the GI Clark S., he was beaten a combined 25 lengths. But Dawson remains hopeful that Rich Strike can get back to the form that carried him to a shocking win in the Derby at odds of 80-1.

“We won't know more until we get him back in real training,” he said. “I'll trust Bill to inform me so far as where his skill level is. If he can return to that skill level he showed when winning the Derby, that would be fantastic. We'll see how he does and let him tell us what is next. If he can continue to run at a high level, we will continue to race him. If not, he'll retire and go to the breeding shed.”

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You could make the argument that the diminutive, white-blazed chestnut with the endearing overbite has enjoyed one of the least-scrutinized post-Derby weeks of any winner in recent history. That's not so much because the spotlight on his accomplishment has dimmed. It has to do with overlapping waves of chaos commandeering the game like a searing mint julep hangover that won't go away.

Colleague Bill Finley wrote in this space last week about the seven horse deaths at Churchill Downs that overshadowed Mage's Derby score. That was followed a few days later by proponents and opponents of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) sparring in federal court, where the highlighting of racing's recent, grim headlines to prove points underscored a nasty turn in a two-year-old lawsuit that has no end in sight.

Additionally, Mage was eclipsed in the news by the colt who was favored to beat him, but had to scratch on the morning of the Derby with a foot bruise. That would be the 2-year-old champ Forte (Violence), who on May 9 was revealed to have failed a drug test at Saratoga last September, with the public kept in the dark the entire eight months afterward until the scoop was leaked to the New York Times.

Two days later, on May 11, Forte was disqualified from the GI Hopeful S. on the basis of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication positive. The case is under appeal, with the only certainty being that it, too, is likely to linger in the courts for a long, long time.

The same day as word of Forte's DQ broke, the connections of last year's underdog Derby upsetter, Rich Strike (Keen Ice), also got dragged into the headlines for a cringe-worthy cameo. The issue had nothing to do with the colt's 0-for-6 record since winning the first leg of the 2022 Triple Crown.

Rather, trainer Eric Reed informed owner Rick Dawson (via text) that he was resigning after the two failed to come to an agreement over–Are you ready for this?–a proposed movie deal. Reed's version of events is that he stepped away after Dawson gave him an ultimatum to either drop the project or get fired. Dawson's take is that he was being kept out of the loop on negotiations and that “things were done behind my back.”

Will “Richie” still be destined for the big screen? Destined for prolonged litigation seems more like it.

And finally, even though it managed not to percolate to the top of the news cycle last week, trainer Bob Baffert and Churchill Downs, Inc., were still trading court filings in Baffert's federal civil rights lawsuit against the gaming company that controls the nation's most important horse race. Yes, Baffert's two-year banishment from the Derby has come and gone, but the lawyering is far from done and the legal fight grinds on.

Separately, we still don't know the outcome of the appeal of Medina Spirit's betamethasone DQ from the 2021 Derby, which is what sparked both Baffert's ruling-off and the lawsuit. That's because the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission still hasn't adjudicated the appeal, 743 days after the test sample was drawn.

Bottom line? All this attention being deflected away from Mage lets him coast into Baltimore further under the radar than most Derby winners. Theoretically, that's great for the colt. For the sport as a whole, it's embarrassing.

The last four Derbies have all been dysfunctional to some degree. An inexplicable 80-1 winner was 2022's oddity. The in-limbo drug DQ appeal of Medina Spirit still clouds the 2021 Derby. The 2020 pandemic necessitated that year's Derby be run in September instead of May. In 2019, it was the DQ of first-across-the-line Maximum Security for in-race interference, the only demotion of a Derby winner for an in-race foul, and it too sparked a failed federal lawsuit.

Mage's trainer, Gustavo Delgado, had a peripheral role in that controversial 2019 Derby. He saddled the 71-1 Bodexpress, who, just like Mage, set sail for Louisville after running second in the GI Florida Derby.

The difference was that Bodexpress went into the Kentucky Derby while still a maiden. Nevertheless, he showed grit by pressing the pace and holding a forward position against far more seasoned horses before tiring and then dramatically checking out of action in the far-turn scrum that resulted in Maximum Security's DQ.

Delgado, who had saddled multiple Classics-level stakes winners in his native Venezuela prior to trying his luck with a stable in America in 2014, wheeled Bodexpress right back two weeks later, giving him his first starter in the Preakness. The colt went off at 20-1, but dislodged jockey John Velazquez at the start and careened around the track riderless before being safely corralled.

Because of his antics, Bodexpress became a social media sensation and something of a fan favorite. After a five-month freshening, he broke his maiden in Florida and subsequently won two allowance races.

In 2020, Bodexpress scored at 11-1 odds in the GI Clark S. at Churchill to cap off his racing career, while giving Delgado his second Grade I winner in the United States. That turn of events signaled better Triple Crown karma might eventually be in Delgado's pipeline.

The trainer's son and assistant, Gustavo Delgado, Jr., told TDN's Katie Petrunyak on Friday that his father initially scoffed at the $290,000 purchase of Mage at EASMAY last spring.

“He didn't like him because he's got parrot mouth,” Delgado, Jr., said. “I remember he looked at me and said, 'The next time you are buying a horse, send me a video first and don't buy a parrot mouth.' But I told him, 'Trust me, this guy can run.'”

Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Mage fits the profile of a Derby winner who might not be fancied as the favorite in the Preakness, where he'll face a wave of fresh competition. But he's now uncorked big moves on the far turn in two straight Grade I races, and as a light-framed colt, his way of going doesn't seem to impose the type of pounding that would be detrimental to firing right back in two weeks.

On Saturday, we'll find out if Mage can spare the sport a little of his upbeat mojo. Right now the game could use a touch of his no-drama, all-business vibe.

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But a new year and a new race bring new opportunities and a clean slate. Rich Strike will make his 4-year-old debut Friday in the GII Alysheba S., a day shy of a year and at the same track where he stunned the racing world with his 3/4-length win in the Derby. There's a lot of karma there, but karma isn't going to get him into the winner's circle. Reed knows this, but remains optimistic that Rich Strike will be competitive throughout the year in top-class races.

“He's smarter and he's stronger and he's more mature,” Reed said. “He knows what's going on. He's turned out to be what we expected at four, stronger and smarter. He's ready. Last year, he was running on adrenaline and raw talent. This year, he's had the chance to mature out. He's a better horse this year. I think he'll run well in all his races and if he doesn't, we will be disappointed.”

It's not that he was terrible last year after the Derby. He just wasn't good enough.

“Since the Derby, he ran well in every race except for the Belmont and I still say that was my fault,” Reed said. “In the Clark, he was sick and we had no knowledge of that beforehand. He always showed up. He was a head away from beating Hot Rod Charlie in the Lukas Classic and had he won, that would have ended a lot of the talk.”

Reed said the main problem Rich Strike will face this year is the same problem he faced last year. He has no early speed and can find himself in a hopeless position if the pace up front isn't fast. His Derby win came after there was a pace meltdown in which they flew through early fractions of :21.78, :45.36 and 1:10.34.

“He's not going to win a lot of races because of his running style,” Reed said. “Even when everything goes right, it's hard for him to win because of the way he wants to run. We want him to do good and I think he will. I don't know how many races he will win this year, but he'll have to find a way to put himself into the races a little earlier to win.”

The Alysheba is run at a mile-and-a-sixteenth and Rich Strike probably needs more distance. He'll also be facing a tough group of rivals. Art Collector (Bernardini) won the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) has won a pair of graded stakes this year and West Will Power (Bernardini) is coming off a win in the GII New Orleans Classic. This may be the deepest group of older dirt males assembled so far this year. Rich Strike is 7-2 in the morning line, but that seems like an underlay.

“It's his first start back,” Reed said. “I don't have high expectations for a win, but it would be great if he did. We just need to get in the first start and get ready for his next start, the Stephen Foster. I think that's where our season will really start to take off.”

In the meantime, Reed said he plans to enjoy the week and treasure the memories. He said he has the same crew back from last year and they are going to gather for a barbecue on Thursday. Despite Rich Strike's losing streak, Reed is still focused on how great that accomplishment was one year ago.

“I do tend to relive it, probably a couple of times a week,” he said. “It's one of those things that will never go away. You have days when you get frustrated and then you take a step back and think about the Derby and everything is good.”

Everything would be even better if Rich Strike were to win another race, preferably a big one. Reed will give him his chances this year. No excuses. Now he just needs to show that he's good enough.

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Jockey James Graham began his mount's training session by breaking inside of an unraced 3-year-old workmate. Around the far-turn, after the Derby hopeful completed five furlongs in 1:00.20, fellow stablemate Giant Awakening (Mor Spirit) was waiting for him around the 5 1/2 furlong pole. Running in concert, Confidence Game finished his work around the sixteenth pole and galloped out an extra quarter mile.

“At first when I looked at the final time, I was a little disappointed,” Desormeaux said. “Then I got back to the barn and went through the splits and I had a renewed sense of confidence–for a lack of a better term. He really started to pick it up late in the work even when he went fast early during the work. The gate works at Churchill are timed when the doors open so if you take into account that during a race there is a little bit of a run-up before the timer starts, he worked really well. I was definitely looking to get a lot of out of the work and I think we accomplished that. He needed it.”

Owned by Don't Tell My Wife Stables and Ocean Reef Racing, the GII Rebel S. victor completed splits of :24.60, :36, :47.80, 1:00.20, 1:13 and 1:25.60, with a gallop out of 1 1/4 lengths in 2:05.80. Desormeaux opted to bypass Saturday's GIII Lexington S. at Keeneland to train up for the Derby and said the colt would likely work back next Saturday.

Confidence Game with a serious one-mile move in 1:38.20 from the gate. #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/QSCpkBTQne

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 14, 2023

Rich Strike Looks To Return Soon

RED TR-Racing's Rich Strike (Keen Ice) continued to prepare for his 2023 debut by working five furlongs in :59.80 early Friday morning over a fast track at Keeneland for trainer Eric Reed.

With Gabriel Lagunes aboard, the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby champ posted fractions of :23.80, :47.80, :59.80 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40.

“Gabe said he was perfect this morning and worked the way he did before the Derby,” Reed said of Rich Strike, who is nominated to the 92nd running of Keeneland's GIII Ben Ali S. on Apr. 22. “I want to get him as tight as I can before his first time out against horses that have been running. If all goes well, that will point him for the GI Stephen Foster.”

Reed said the Ben Ali is in the mix for the 2023 debut along with next Saturday's GII Oaklawn H. and GII Alysheba S. at Churchill on May 5.

“I'll talk it over with [owner] Rick [Dawson] the next couple of days,” Reed said. “The Alysheba is probably the most likely spot. He would work again in nine or 10 days, and it would be at Churchill Downs.”

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“I thought he worked good and finished strong,” trainer Eric Reed said. “We are looking here [1 3/16 Ben Ali] or Oaklawn [$1-million GII Oaklawn H. going 1 1/8 miles the same day]. We want to get the first one out of the way and then the [$1-million GI) Stephen Foster [S. on July 1]. We'll see how they come up.”

Runner-up in the GII Lukas Classic last October, Rich Strike was fourth behind Flightline in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic before coming home sixth in the GI Clark S. Nov. 25. Following a two-month break, he returned to the work tab at Reed's Mercury Equine Center in Lexington Jan. 21. Rich Strike has been working predominantly at Turfway earlier this winter.

Reed explained that he had initially looked at the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Mar. 25 for Rich Strike's seasonal return, however, “he nicked a quarter [hoof area], and we didn't want to take chance that he might hit himself coming out of the gate.”

According to Reed, the ultimate goal for Rich Strike this season is the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Nov. 4.

“After the Foster, we are looking at either the Whitney or the Pacific Classic then back to Churchill for the Lukas Classic then the Breeders' Cup,” said Reed.

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Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.

California

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 02/03/2023

Licensee: Eoin Harty

Penalty: $3,000 fine

Violation: Out-of-competition joint injection violation

Explainer: Trainer Eoin Harty, who trains the horse El Joy, is fined $3,000.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1866.3(c)(e) (Intra-articular Injections Restricted – treatment within 10 days of workout).

Harty told the TDN he will be appealing the ruling for various reasons, including for a career training record absent any prior medication violations (this is confirmed in the Thoroughbred Rulings website).

New York

Track: Aqueduct

Date: 02/02/2023

Licensee: Suzanne Zelman, racing official/official veterinarian

Penalty: $1,000 fine

Violation: Lasix administration violation

Explainer: You are hereby fined the sum of one thousand ($1,000) dollars for failing to tend to business in a proper manner necessitating the scratch of horse “Bustinupishardtodo” (# 8) from the eighth race at Aqueduct Racetrack on January 27th 2023.

According to New York Racing Association (NYRA) spokesperson Pat McKenna, the fine was for a failure to administer Lasix to the horse in question resulting in a mandatory scratch.

Kentucky

Track: Turfway Park

Date: 02/01/2023

Licensee: Eric Reed, trainer

Penalty: Five-day suspension, $1,000 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: Upon receipt of notification from The University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, the official testing laboratory for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, sample number R005087 taken from Golden Text, who finished first in the fourth race at Turfway Park on January 19, 2023 contained phenylbutazone at a level of 0.62 mcg/ml in blood (Class C) (2nd offense in 365 days). After waiving his right to a formal hearing before the Board of Stewards, Eric Reed is hereby suspended 5 days, February 10, 2023 through February 14, 2023 (inclusive) and fined $1,000.

Read more about the story here.

NEW HISA STEWARDS RULINGS

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal, except for the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

Violations of Crop Rule

Aqueduct

∙              Gokhan Kocakaya – violation date January 29; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

Gulfstream Park

∙              Edgar Perez – violation date January 29; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Mahoning Valley Racecourse

∙              Juan Gabriel Lagunes – violation date January 31; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 9 strikes

Oaklawn Park

• Kelsi Harr – violation date January 29; $250 fine, striking mount on the flank during the fifth race on January 29, 2023.
• Calvin Borel – violation date January 29; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes
• Ramsey Zimmerman – violation date January 29; $250 fine, three strikes in succession
• Gabriel Saez – violation date February 3; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes, on appeal and stay granted
• Kelsi Harr – violation date February 4; $250 fine, striking mount on the flank during the second race on February 4, 2023.
• Eduardo Gallardo – violation date February 4; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 9 strikes
• Florent Geroux – violation date February 4; $250 fine, raising wrist above helmet when using crop

Penn National

• Yomar Ortiz – violation date February 1; $500 fine and three-day suspension, misuse of the crop

Santa Anita

• Mario Gutierrez – violation date January 28; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Tampa Bay Downs

• Jose Luis Alonso – violation date February 1; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes
• Carlos Eduardo Rojas – violation date February 3; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes, on appeal and stay granted
• Carlos Eduardo Rojas – violation date February 4; 15-day suspension, “Jockey Carlos E. Rojas (P 000-026-197) has accumulated a total of 26 points for violation of HISA Rule 2280 (bl, (1). Nine of the points are under appeal and a stay has been granted, so the total points are reduced to 17 points.”

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According to a Feb. 1 Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) stewards' ruling, the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer waived his right to a hearing and will serve his days Feb. 10-14 without lodging an appeal.

The ruling stated that the offense was Reed's second for a Class C positive within the past year. The KHRC classifies drugs on an A (most severe) to D (least severe) scale.

Phenylbutazone, also called Bute, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The test reported a finding of .62 micrograms per milliliter. According to rules posted on the KHRC website, bute is permitted on race day in concentrations at or less than three-tenths (0.3) micrograms per milliliter.

The disqualified winner was Golden Text (Danza), who wired the field in the fourth race Jan. 19, got claimed from owner Jackie Willoughby, Jr., and then had the claim voided because of the drug ruling.

Reed responded to a Friday voicemail request asking for his side of the story by texting that he had already issued statements to two other publications and did not wish to comment further.

Reed told Horse Racing Nation's Ron Flatter earlier in the week that, “I waived my rights because I know I gave the horse Bute paste [which takes longer to clear a horse's system]. I apologize to my friend Jim Willoughby, who owns the horse and had the win taken away. I also apologize to the racing industry. I used a Bute paste instead of the injection because he's the kind of horse who fights you every time you give him a shot.”

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The “Rich Strike Golden Ticket” will be limited to just 80 and available in increments of a single person, a pair of two people, and a group of six people. Prices range between $125 and $400 and include access to the paddock, where the purchasers will have their picture taken with the Derby winner. The price includes a photo that will be printed on the spot and autographed by Rich Strike's trainer, Eric Reed.

“We are excited to offer this very unique opportunity to racing fans and want to thank RED TR-Racing and trainer Eric Reed for their willingness to share their Derby winner with his fans,” said Kurtis Coady, president of Coady Photography. “We also want to thank Churchill Downs for helping to make this event possible. We hope to partner with them and other tracks in the future for other special events.”

Tickets can be purchased through this link. The event will be held between 10 a.m. and noon.

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“He worked really good. He worked faster than we thought he would, but he did it easily,” trainer Eric Reed said. “I think my question on him liking the track was answered this morning. He came home well. It is probably as good as he worked, even since before he did going into the [Kentucky] Derby. He was supposed to go :49 or :50. He did it all on his own. He was galloping over the track.”

After besting the Travers-bound Epicenter (Not This Time) and Zandon (Upstart) beneath the Twin Spires, Rich Strike somewhat controversially passed on the GI Preakness S. and trained up to the GI Belmont S., where he was sixth to Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo). The chestnut worked three times at Reed's Mercury Training Center in July and twice at Churchill Downs earlier this month before arriving in Saratoga the afternoon of Aug. 14.

“Everything is in good shape,” Reed said. “All we have to do is do some paddock schooling and keep him happy and healthy. He'll go to the paddock Sunday morning after he gallops. He will walk through it on Monday. Then, on Wednesday and Thursday, we'll plan on taking him there in the afternoon.”

Work of the Day from #Saratoga, GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike worked 5 Furlongs in 59.82 on August 19th, 2022, for trainer Eric Reed. Rich Strike is expected to run in the GI #Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 27th, 2022. @1stbet pic.twitter.com/zPW2gcHEGC

— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) August 19, 2022

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