Rich Strike came out of Clark with throat infection

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike was a disappointing sixth and last in the Clark for an apparent reason.

“He came out of the race with a pretty serious guttural-pouch infection, about a 4 out of 5,” trainer Eric Reed said. “I hate to make excuses, but that’s the reality of it. He was just full of yellow and green. No blood, so we were glad about that.”

Rich Strike went winless in five starts after stunning the sports world with his 80-1 victory in the Derby on May 7. He’ll soon get about 45 days at Xalapa Farm in Paris, Ky., where “he can just be a horse for a while,” Reed said.

After returning to Reed at his Mercury training center in early January, the Dubai World Cup is a possible first target for Rich Strike. In the meantime, Reed intended to start decompressing Monday afternoon by going hunting.

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