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A14 sports
Monday 23 May 2022
Rich Strike yes, Preakness champ Early Voting no for Belmont

By STEPHEN WHYNO the Derby.
AP Sports Writer But there's still a chance of
BALTIMORE (AP) — Twelve Ethereal Road running in
hours before Early Voting a Triple Crown race. After
won the Preakness, Ken- winning the Sir Barton at 1
tucky Derby champion 1/16 miles, jockey Luis Saez
Rich Strike was back on the didn't seem worried about
track at Churchill Downs to the longer Belmont.
begin preparations for the "Oh yeah, he can run all
Belmont Stakes. day," Saez said. "He can
After impressing with a definitely go longer."
strong workout, Rich Strike Lukas-trained filly Secret
remains on track for the Oath, who finished fourth
third leg of the Triple Crown. in the Preakness, won't run
Trainer Eric Reed confirmed in the Belmont. Lukas said
to The Associated Press on last week the ideal road-
Sunday the plan is "abso- map for the Kentucky Oaks
lutely" still to run Rich Strike winner includes Saratoga
in the Belmont. races in July and August
But there won't be a show- and one at Parx outside
down between the surprise Philadelphia in September
Derby champion and the before the Breeders' Cup in
Preakness winner. Early early November.
Voting's owner and trainer Jose Ortiz, right, atop Early Voting, heads to the finish line with Joel Rosario, atop Epicenter, at his A couple of other Preakness
confirmed the colt will by- tail before winning the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, horses are Belmont candi-
pass the Belmont; they plan Saturday, May 21, 2022, in Baltimore. Associated Press dates, most notably third-
to run him this summer with place finisher Creative Min-
the ultimate goal of getting Midsummer Derby." a six-week layoff. Reed Little-known jockey Sonny ister. Trainer Kenny McPeek
him ready for the $1.25 mil- Epicenter, the first horse in on Saturday called skip- Leon is expected to ride said the Belmont is the plan
lion Travers Stakes at Sara- a decade to finish second ping the Preakness "one of Rich Strike in the Belmont because Creative Minister's
toga Race Course in up- in both the Kentucky Derby the toughest decisions" he after engineering the per- pedigree indicates the lon-
state New York on Aug. 27. and Preakness, likely won't has made and added he fect trip to win the Derby. ger distance will help.
Owner Seth Klarman and be brought back for the thought Rich Strike wouldn't It took a horse being with- "I just think he'll like the
trainer Chad Brown cast Belmont, which would be have been mentally ready drawn from the Derby to added ground, as long as
doubt on the Belmont min- a third race in five weeks. for the race. get Rich Strike into the field he handles the surface up
utes after Early Voting held Owner Ron Winchell said The plan is now for Rich just before the deadline. there," McPeek said.
off favorite Epicenter to win "that's a stretch" based on Strike to stay at Churchill That horse, Ethereal Road, Skippylongstocking, who
the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, Epicenter's recent sched- Downs in Louisville, Ken- came from behind to win was fifth, could also go to
citing the mile-and-a-half ule. tucky, through the end of the $100,000 Sir Barton the Belmont. But trainer Saf-
distance as an obstacle. Owner Rick Dawson pri- the month before traveling Stakes on the Preakness un- fie Joseph isn't in a hurry to
"There will be some racing oritized extra rest for Rich to New York. dercard Saturday. make a decision until next
before (the Travers)," Brown Strike after the 80-1 long "He does so well here I just "We can definitely build off week.
said. "We'll get him back to shot won the Derby rath- didn't want to change any- this," said 86-year-old Hall "It might be worth taking
Belmont, assess him, train er than pushing for a re- thing yet," Reed said. "He'll of Fame trainer D. Wayne a shot at it," Joseph said.
him a bit and then start to turn two weeks later in the get eight or nine days at Lukas, who started second- "We'll see how he comes
map out a campaign that Preakness, which was won Belmont to gallop and get guessing himself for not let- out and see how his energy
hopefully leads us to the by a well-rested horse off used to the surface." ting Ethereal Road run in is and then decide."q

French Open Lookahead: Swiatek,

Nadal, Djokovic on Day 2

PARIS (AP) — LOOKAHEAD thing Chatrier now has a da Linette beat No. 6 Ons
TO MONDAY retractable roof, because Jabeur 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5; Kaia
The second day at Roland there is plenty of rain in the Kanepi beat No. 10 Garbi-
Garros features quite a line- forecast. Other big names ñe Muguruza 2-6, 6-3, 6-4;
up in Court Philippe Cha- in action on other courts No. 18 Coco Gauff beat
trier, with matches involv- include reigning U.S. Open Rebecca Marino 7-5, 6-0.
ing No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek champion Emma Radu- STAT OF THE DAY
and defending champion canu and four-time major 7-6 (10-5) — The score of Iga Swiatek, of Poland, reaches for a return against Belinda
Barbora Krejickova getting champion Naomi Osaka, the fifth set in Argentine Bencic, of Switzerland, during the fourth round of the US Open
things started in the after- who faces the woman who qualifier Camilo Ugo Cara- tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 6, 2021, in New York.
Associated Press
noon. beat her at the Australian belli's victory over Aslan
They'll be followed into the Open in January, Ameri- Karatsev, marking the first at Roland Garros until now; "I'm really happy with the
main stadium by 13-time can Amanda Anisimova. time in French Open his- the four Grand Slam tour- performance in my first
champion Rafael Nadal. MONDAY'S FORECAST tory that a deciding set naments agreed this year match in Philippe Chatrier
And Novak Djokovic will Rain throughout the day. was settled by a tiebreak- to make the first-to-10 tie- and hope to play more
wrap things up in the night High of 73 degrees Fahren- er. There never have been breaker at 6-all in those de- matches in this court." —
session as he opens de- heit (23 Celsius). tiebreakers used in fifth sets ciding sets standard across Alcaraz, the 19-year-old
fense of his 2021 title as SUNDAY'S KEY RESULTS of men's matches or third the sport's major events. Spaniard seen as a future
the No. 1 seed. It's a good Women's First Round: Mag- sets of women's matches QUOTE OF THE DAY star of tennis.q