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sports Diabierna 13 Mei 2022

Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike not running in Preakness

(AP) - Rich Strike will not that have reached out and
run in the Preakness after very much appreciate the in-
his major upset to win the vite.”
Kentucky Derby, keeping
horse racing from having Reed did not immediately
a Triple Crown winner for respond to a message from
a fourth consecutive year. The Associated Press seeking
comment.
Owner Rich Dawson made
the stunning announcement Rich Strike was not expected
Thursday, 10 days before the to be the morning-line favor-
race in Maryland. ite for the Preakness, with
Derby runner-up Epicenter
Dawson said he and trainer and Kentucky Oaks winner
Eric Reed agreed to stick Secret Oath set to be part of
with the initial plan for Rich the field. He could have been
Strike and rest him for five the first Derby winner not
weeks. Rich Strike, at 80-1, to go off as the Preakness fa-
was the biggest long shot to vorite at post time since 2012
win the Derby in more than when I’ll Have Another won
a century. Only Donerail in the first two legs of the Triple
1913 paid more to win. Crown.

The plan now is to have Rich With Rich Strike’s surprise
Strike ready to run in the Bel- withdrawal, the Preakness charge past the leaders down from the AP seeking com- Kentucky for medication vio-
mont Stakes in New York on will go on without the offi- the stretch at Churchill ment. lations that is being observed
June 11. Dawson said it was cial Derby champion for the Downs after being initially in Maryland and elsewhere.
wise for the colt to get extra second time in four years. left out of the Derby field With Rich Strike pointing to Baffert transferred Derby
rest and not face a short, two- Country House and disquali- became one of the biggest the Belmont, the Preakness horses Taiba and Messier to
week turnaround at Pimlico. fied winner Maximum Secu- upsets in sports. The owners, appears to be a wide-open former assistant Tim Yakteen.
rity skipped the race in 2019. trainer Reed and jockey Son- race among horses back from
“It’s very, very tempting to al- ny Leon had all never won the Derby, potentially in- Neither is expected to run in
ter our course and run in the Bob Baffert-trained Medina the race. cluding Zandon and fourth- the Preakness.
Preakness at Pimlico, which Spirit finished third in the place finisher Simplification.
would be a great honor for all 2021 Preakness after testing Adding to the impressive tale, Trainer Chad Brown, who Longtime Baffert friend D.
our group,” Dawson said in a positive following the Derby Rich Strike had won only saddles Zandon, is also ex- Wayne Lukas confirmed
news release. “However, after for a substance not allowed once before and had been pected to enter Early Voting. Wednesday that filly Se-
much discussion and consid- on race day. Mandaloun, claimed for $30,000 — pen- cret Oath would run in the
eration … we are going to who was elevated to the 2021 nies in racing and unlikely Horse racing has had two re- Preakness and decided to
stay with our plan of what’s Derby win long after Medina for Derby-caliber horses. cent Triple Crown winners: pick a different race next Sat-
best for Ritchie. Spirit tested positive, did not American Pharoah in 2015 urday for Ethereal Road —
run in the Preakness last year. Neither Reed nor the Mary- and Justify in 2018. Each was the horse that was scratched
“We thank the wonderful land Jockey Club immedi- trained by Baffert, who is cur- to make room in the Derby
Preakness and Pimlico folks Rich Strike’s incredible ately responded to messages rently serving a suspension in for Rich Strike.

Munoz shoots 60 at Byron Nelson, record 2nd this season

(AP) — Sebastian Munoz following his only bogey history with two rounds Munoz was at 2-under par a of downtown Dallas and 30
shot a 12-under 60 in the with an impressive mid- of 60 or better in the same one-stroke penalty because miles east of the University
opening round of the By- round surge to become the season. of a wayward tee shot at the of North Texas, where Mu-
ron Nelson on Thursday, first player in PGA Tour eighth hole. The 29-year-old noz went to school.
Colombian, who lives in the
Dallas area, then went 6-un- Munoz finished his round
der in the next four holes. He before two major winners
made eagles at the par 5 No. from Dallas teed off in the
9 and No. 12 and sank 3-foot afternoon in the same group,
birdies in between. with a four-stroke lead over
Mito Pereira and Peter Mal-
In the middle of the fairway nati among the earlier finish-
after his tee shot at the 18th ers.
hole, another par 5, Munoz
missed the green to the right. Masters champion Scottie
But he made a nice flop shot Scheffler, the No. 1 player in
and sank the round-ending the world, made his first in-
12-foot birdie. dividual start since winning
the Masters five weeks ago.
Munoz also had a 60 in the Three-time major champion
opening round of the the Jordan Spieth, ranked No. 9,
RSM Classic at Seaside in played for the first time since
Georgia in November, al- his win at RBC Heritage the
though that was a 10-under week after the Masters.
score. He went on to finish
third. Scheffler and Spieth, who
both played at the Univer-
TPC Craig Ranch, the sec- sity of Texas, competed in
ond-year home of the Nel- their first PGA Tour events as
son, is about 30 miles north teenagers at the Nelson.