LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, unraced since finishing sixth in the June 11 Belmont Stakes, will ship within the next few days to Churchill, where he will be sent through two works before moving to Saratoga for his next start in the Aug. 27 Travers. Rich Strike had a five-furlong breeze in 1:03 Tuesday at the Mercury training center on the outskirts of Lexington, Ky. “He galloped out three-quarters in 1:16, which is rolling here at Mercury,” said Eric Reed, who trains the Keen Ice colt for the RED TR-Racing of Rick Dawson. “He’s been tearing the barn down.” :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. It was the third solo work at Mercury since the Belmont for Rich Strike, following half-mile breezes on July 9 and 16. Reed said the colt will van Sunday or Monday to Churchill, with two works to follow prior to his departure for Saratoga, where he’ll have one final pre-race work. “These next three works are going to put the heat on him,” said Reed. “The next one will probably be in company going five-eighths again, and the second one he’ll go (six furlongs).” Rich Strike was 80-1 in his May 7 Derby stunner, and although he won’t be such a huge price in the 1 1/4-mile Travers, he will be an outsider. He is expected to face the elite of the 3-year-old division, including Epicenter, Early Voting, Zandon, Charge It, and Cyberknife.