Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike retired, will be sold at Keeneland November sale

Rich Strike, the upset winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby, has been retired from racing and will be offered as a stallion prospect at the Keeneland November horses of racing age sale on Nov. 17.

Rich Strike, a 4-year-old son of Keen Ice owned by Rick Dawson's RED TR-Racing, last raced when finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Alysheba on May 5 at Churchill Downs, his first start in more than five months. The following week, Eric Reed resigned as the colt’s trainer, due to differences with Dawson over media deals to document their story and image rights. Rich Strike had been in light training this summer and fall at Margaux Farm in Midway, Ky., progressing slowly and with regular vet checks after an exam in May showed he had what Dawson termed at the time as “some issues - often present in racehorses in training and/or actively racing.” As recently as last week, Dawson said the colt would soon be joining new trainer Bill Mott at his winter base in Florida. However, a recent vet check took that off the table.

“Effectively immediately, I am announcing the retirement of Rich Strike from racing,” Dawson said in a Keeneland release on Thursday. “Over the past few months, Rich Strike was given the opportunity to rehab and return to his top racing form. However, nagging injuries have prevented that from happening. I’m hopeful now that Rich Strike finds a new home and begins a second career as a stallion.”

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Rich Strike will be consigned by Candy Meadows Farm, as agent. Before shipping to the sale grounds, he is available for inspection by appointment.

Rich Strike, who was claimed by Dawson and Reed out of a maiden victory at Churchill Downs, was later third in the Leonatus Stakes and in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Turfway Park's Tapeta. He drew in to the Kentucky Derby field the day before the race as an also-eligible. In the Derby, he and Sonny Leon rallied from 15th at the quarter pole with an inside move for a shocking upset by three-quarters of a length. His winning payout of $163.60 made him the second-longest shot to ever win the Derby, behind only Donerail in 1913.

Rich Strike bypassed the Preakness to prepare for the Belmont Stakes, but was sixth in that classic. That was the first of six starts following the Derby in which he went winless, although he was a close second in the Grade 2 Lukas Classic in October 2022 at Churchill Downs. He retires with earnings of $2,526,809.

Higher-end stallion prospects are typically not offered at public auction, with private terms typically being reached between farms and owners. The addition of a stallion prospect, let alone one with the accomplishment of being a Derby winner, adds intrigue to Keeneland’s horses of racing age sale, which will continue to review supplemental entries for a dynamic catalog. This has been a marketplace growing in popularity, and last year, Keeneland broke the sale out into its own event, after it had highlighted the second week of the November breeding stock auction.

“Keeneland is excited to showcase Rich Strike, a rare offering who will appeal to international buyers as a stallion prospect and to fans of racing worldwide,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said in the release.

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