‘What’s best for Ritchie.’ Kentucky Derby winner will skip Preakness Stakes.

There will be no Triple Crown winner in 2022.

Rich Strike, the second-longest shot ever to win a Kentucky Derby, will not race in next week’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, owner Rick Dawson announced Thursday afternoon.

Dawson’s statement explained that the two-week turnaround between the first and second legs of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown was too short for Rich Strike to race safely.

The Preakness Stakes is set for May 21 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The final jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, will be contested June 11 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Thirteen horses have won the Triple Crown. The most recent winner was Justify in 2018.

Rich Strike came out of nowhere to win Saturday’s 148^th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. At 80-1, he was the longest shot on the board at race time and became the longest shot to win a Kentucky Derby since Donerail won at 91-1 odds in 1913.

“Obviously, with our tremendous effort and win in the Derby, it’s very, very tempting to alter our course and run in the Preakness at Pimlico, which would be a great honor for all our group,” Dawson’s statement said. “However, after much discussion and consideration with my trainer, Eric Reed, and a few others, we are going to stay with our plan of what’s best for Ritchie is what’s best for our group, and pass on running in the Preakness, and point toward the Belmont in approximately five weeks.”

Rich Strike was entered into the Kentucky Derby as an “also-eligible” and only gained entry into the Run for the Roses when Ethereal Road was scratched the day before the race.

Dawson said the original plan was to run in the Preakness only if Rich Strike did not gain entry to the Derby. If he got into the Derby, the plan was to skip the Preakness and point toward the Belmont or another race, assuring five or six weeks of rest between races.

“We thank the wonderful Preakness and Pimlico folks that have reached out to us and very much appreciate the invite,” Dawson’s statement continued. “We wish you all a great race!”

The Kentucky Derby represented Rich Strike’s second win in eight career starts. His previous start took place five weeks before the Run for the Roses — a third-place finish in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Prior to that this year, Rich Strike raced March 5 and Jan. 22.

The lineup for the Preakness Stakes is still taking shape, as several trainers are observing how their horses fared coming out of the Derby.

Second-place Derby finisher Epicenter and fourth-place Simplification are expected but not confirmed. The same is possible for third-place Zandon and also-eligible Rattle N Roll, who did not draw into the Derby.

Rattle N Roll, trained by Lexington’s Kenny McPeek, could be joined in the race by Creative Minister, another McPeek trainee. McPeek’s Smile Happy, who finished fifth at Churchill Downs, will not run at Pimlico, the trainer told the Daily Racing Form.

Six other horses not in the Derby are expected for the Preakness: Wood Memorial runner-up Early Voting, Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath, Derby scratch Ethereal Road, Shake Em Loose, Skippylongstocking and Un Ojo.

Entries for the Preakness will be drawn Monday.

This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 1:27 PM.