UPDATED: 2022 Preakness first look: Horses to watch as field takes shape without Derby winner Rich Strike

Editor's Note: This story was updated Thursday, May 12, 2002, after it was announced Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike would not run in the Preakness.

Trainer Eric Reed succinctly summed up his thrilling yet completely unpredictable victory in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

“It was an absolute miracle,’’ he told reporters in Louisville, Ky.

A lot of people agreed with him after his horse, Rich Strike, crossed the finish line first at odds of 80-1, the second longest odds ever for a Kentucky Derby winner. Refreshingly, Reed didn’t resort to the “no one respected us but we knew we could win’’ reaction that is so often heard from upset winners. He admitted his horse deserved his long-shot status.

Just five days later, however, Rich Strike owner Rick Dawson on Thursday announced that the Derby winner would not run in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, at Pimlico in Baltimore on May 21.

“Obviously, with our tremendous effort and win in the Derby, it’s very, very tempting to alter our course and run in the Preakness at Pimlico, which would be a great honor for all our group,” Dawson said in a statement. “However, after much discussion and consideration with my trainer, Eric Reed, and a few others, we are going to stay with our plan of what’s best for Ritchie is what’s best for our group and pass on running in the Preakness and point toward the Belmont in approximately five weeks.”

With Rich Strike on the shelf, FrontPageBets provides a first look at what to expect in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Here's the truth: Rich Strike wouldn't have been favored in the Preakness anyway. Rich Strike benefited from a hotly contested pace and a heady, nifty ride by jockey Sonny Leon in the Derby. The first half mile was timed in 45.36 seconds. The horses that were first through seventh at that point, Sunday is Tomorrow, Crown Pride, Zozos, Messier, Taiba, Cyberknife and Charge It, finished 20th, 13th, 10th, 15th, 12th, 18th and 17th. Even Epicenter, who was ninth at the half-mile point, didn’t have enough left to hold off Rich Strike.

It would be stunning if the Preakness had the same type of pace.

The Preakness field is still taking shape but there will be plenty of contenders, many of whom ran in the Derby or ran in other races on Derby day.

Epicenter, the Derby favorite, ran fairly well. The race was there for the taking but he just couldn’t finish strongly enough. His trainer, Steve Asmussen hasn’t committed yet but it will be surprising if he doesn’t run. Unlike other top trainers such as Brown and Todd Pletcher, he’s willing to run his horses more frequently. I predict he’ll be in Baltimore and that Epicenter will be the Preakness favorite. That he couldn’t withstand Rich Strike's rally in the Derby is a concern, but Epicenter will be a serious threat.

Jack Christopher won the Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard and he might be the best 3-year-old in the country. He’s 3-for-3 lifetime. His victory was visually impressive but his speed figure was surprisingly disappointing, slower than Rich Strike's.

Brown is Jack Christopher’s trainer and he will most likely be conservative, probably waiting to run in an undercard race on Belmont Stakes day and then maybe contest the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in late July.

Almost assuredly, Brown will rest Derby third-place finisher Zandon until the Belmont Stakes. The late-running Zandon has a great chance to win the Derby with the fast early pace, but he couldn’t get past Epicenter in the stretch and Rich Strike was faster in the final furlong.

Brown will run Early Voting in the Preakness. Early Voting set the pace in the Wood Memorial and nearly won before being caught in the last few strides by Mo Donegal. He will be viewed as a serious contender in Baltimore.  

Another 3-year-old who won impressively on the Derby undercard, Creative Cause, is a distinct possibility to run in the Preakness. Creative Cause is trained by Ken McPeak who might also run Smile Happy, who finished eighth in the Derby.

Simplification, who rallied to finish fourth in the Derby, will be in Baltimore by Tuesday to start preparing the Preakness.

Trainer Tim Yakteen, who inherited two Derby contenders, Taiba and Messier, from the suspended Bob Baffert hasn’t committed yet but did admit Taiba is a possibility. Messier is not. Yakteen ran three horses Saturday that had previously been with Baffert. None won.

What could make things more interesting would be the participation of Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas will not shy away from running fillies against colts, after all he won the Kentucky Derby with a filly, Winning Colors. He tried Secret Oath in the Arkansas Derby earlier this year and she finished third. That won’t deter him if he thinks his filly can compete and the fact that the rank outsider won the Derby will only give him more reason to run.

According to the Daily Racing Form, two horses that will not be highly regarded will most likely be in the field, Un Ojo, who missed the Derby with a minor injury; and Skippylongstocking, who finished third in the Wood Memorial.

As this week proceeds, there will be some additions and maybe subtractions, but there will be no Triple Crown winner.

Rich Strike will focus on the Belmont.

Meanwhile at the Preakness it will not be far-fetched to see Epicenter, Secret Oath, Early Voting and Simplification to have lower odds. At least.

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