Report: Rich Strike arrives at Bill Mott’s barn in Saratoga

2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is now galloping with trainer Bill Mott at Saratoga.

According to a report from David Grening of Daily Racing Form, Rich Strike was vanned to Saratoga on Friday and joined Mott’s shedrow Saturday. Rick Dawson, Rich Strike’s owner, had announced earlier in June that ultrasound tests on the horse had gone well enough for him to ship to Mott’s barn and intensify his training.

Mott expects several more weeks of galloping before Rich Strike is ready for a breeze. Even though Rich Strike has returned to the track, it is not definite that the 5-year-old Keen Ice gelding will return to the races. Mott told DRF that Dawson “realizes maybe we got a 50-50 chance of making it (back to racing). If he stays sound, he should be good. There won’t be any in between.”

Rich Strike is winless in five starts since his 80-1 upset in the run for the roses, with his best finish coming when he was second by a head to Hot Rod Charlie in the 2022 Lukas Classic (G2). His only start in 2023 was a fifth-place finish behind Smile Happy in the Alysheba (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, and he is unraced since then.