Dawson: Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will join Mott shortly

Rich Strike, the 80-1 winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby, is expected to join trainer Bill Mott’s string in the next few days.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, owner Rick Dawson announced that Rich Strike had an ultrasound test at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, and that the results were “as good as could be expected”. He announced plans for him to join Mott in “in a few days” and for his training to “be stepped up slowly and forwardly over the next month or two”. These plans were previously reported by Byron King of BloodHorse.

In another Facebook post Friday, Dawson reiterated that “he certainly has more to do over the next couple months with his training in order to be prepared to race at a high level,” and reiterated that he will need to stay sound in training to race again.

Rich Strike is unraced since May 5, 2023, when he finished fifth behind Smile Happy in the Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs. That was his final start for trainer Eric Reed, who trained Rich Strike from the time he was claimed out of a maiden win in November 2021. About three weeks after the 2023 Alysheba, Dawson stated that Rich Strike was moving to Mott’s barn.

Dawson announced in November 2023 that he would be retired due to a suspensory injury that was not healing as well as he hoped, and offered as a stallion prospect at the Keeneland November sale. However, he was taken out of the sale later in the month and returned to the care of Dr. Larry Bramlage to undergo stem cell treatments to treat his suspensories.