The 2022 Kentucky Derby victor, Rich Strike, who triumphed despite odds of 80-1, is likely to enter into retirement following another injury setback at Saratoga, according to owner Rick Dawson.
Dawson indicated in a recent interview with Horse Racing Nation that he will make a definitive decision within the next 60 days. However, he added, “At this point, the chances of him retiring are about 99 percent. We’re considering arranging some kind of deal for him to become a stallion,” he commented over the phone from Oklahoma.
Dawson mentioned that a recent examination revealed a ligament tear in Rich Strike’s left front leg. The injury came to light after trainer Bill Mott noticed some inflammation following a Saratoga training session.
“The location of the injury is different from the previous one,” said Dawson. “It’s a separate tear in a different section of the suspensory ligament.”
The 5-year-old offspring of Keen Ice was returned to Margaux Farm in Midway, Kentucky, where he had previously been treated for proximal suspensory desmitis in both front legs. The farm is conveniently located just a 10-mile drive from Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington.
“He’s been given a specific dose of the corticosteroid prednisolone for two weeks,” Dawson explained. “After that, he’ll receive half the dosage for two more weeks, then he’ll rest for a month before we do another ultrasound.”
Dawson had hoped that the intensified training programme Rich Strike was undergoing could lead to his return to racing, something that hasn’t happened in over 15 months.
Rich Strike, who has been out of training for over a year, resumed work last month. Mott trained him four times, culminating in a half-mile run in 50.88 seconds on Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track on August 7.
When asked if he had a potential comeback race in mind following the latest workout, Mott simply responded, “We are a long way away right now.”
This latest injury setback has Dawson considering the possibility of retiring Rich Strike from training and selling him this autumn to start a breeding career next spring.
“I’m not interested in a protracted rehabilitation process,” Dawson emphasized. “I haven’t discussed with Dr. Bramlage what the outlook would be if everything goes perfectly…When we started on this journey a year and a half ago, I thought our chances were between 20 to 25 percent.”
Following the resignation of trainer Eric Reed in May 2023, Dawson moved Rich Strike to Mott’s care. Dawson and Reed had disagreements about the direction of a proposed documentary that would focus on the unexpected Kentucky Derby victory that propelled both men into racing stardom.
Since his Derby win, Rich Strike hasn’t had another victory. He raced six times between the 2022 Belmont Stakes and the 2023 Alysheba (G2), only placing in the 2022 Lukas Classic (G2) at Churchill Downs where he came second.
Rich Strike, originally trained by Joe Sharp for breeder-owner Calumet Farm, was acquired by Reed on Dawson’s behalf for $30,000 after his only other win in September 2021. Born and bred in Kentucky, his career record stands at 14: 2-1-3 with earnings amounting to $2,526,809.
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