Rick Strike, Kentucky Derby Winner, Will Skip Preakness

After stunning the horse racing world with a Kentucky Derby win no one saw coming, Rich Strike will sit out the Preakness Stakes and instead focus on preparing for the Belmont Stakes.

The Daily Racing Form originally reported the news of Rich Strike’s absence at the Preakness.

The Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, will be run on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Belmont will be held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on June 11.

While the typical buzz about a Triple Crown chase usually follows the Kentucky Derby winner, that was not the case in Rich Strike’s camp following his monumental upset. Trainer Eric Reed stressed that the well-being of the horse would be…