Triple Crown Tracker: Rich Strike shines, Nest targets Beldame
Kentucky Derby 2022 winner Rich Strike faced older company for the first time on Saturday at Churchill Downs in the Grade 2 Lukas Classic. He chased closer to the pace than usual, made a strong run in the lane and was narrowly outfinished by 4-year-old Hot Rod Charlie. Rich Strike crossed the wire only a neck behind, a promising outing against a well-proven older horse.
| Derby | Horse | Last Race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rich Strike | 2nd, Lukas Classic (G2) | No works since last race |
| 2 | Epicenter | 1st, Travers (G1) | Worked 4f Sun. at KEE |
| 3 | Zandon | 2nd, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 4 | Simplification | 4th, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 5 | Mo Donegal | 1st, Belmont Stakes (G1) | Standing at Spendthrift |
| 6 | Barber Road | 7th, Belmont Stakes (G1) | No works since last race |
| 7 | Tawny Port | 10th, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 8 | Smile Happy | 8th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 9 | Tiz the Bomb | 4th, Hall of Fame (G2) | No works since last race |
| 10 | Zozos | 10th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 11 | Classic Causeway | 3rd, Jockey Club Derby (G3) | Worked 4f Sat. at CD |
| 12 | Taiba | 1st, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 13 | Crown Pride (JPN) | 13th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 14 | Happy Jack | 6th, H. Allen Jerkens (G1) | No works since last race |
| 15 | Messier | 15th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | Worked 4f Sept. 26 at SA |
| 16 | White Abarrio | 5th, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 17 | Charge It | 1st, Dwyer (G3) | Worked 4f Sept. 27 at BEL |
| 18 | Cyberknife | 3rd, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 19 | Pioneer of Medina | 8th, Smarty Jones (G3) | Worked 4f Sun. at BEL |
| 20 | Summer Is Tomorrow | 20th, Kentucky Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| SCR | Ethereal Road | 5th, Bourbon Trail | Worked 4f Sun. at CD |
| SCR | Rattle N Roll | 1st, Oklahoma Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
A pair of Preakness 2022 runners recently placed in stakes races.
Creative Minister returned to the track on Sept. 24, returning to ungraded company after his third-place finish in the Smarty Jones (G3). He stretched back out to the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles and suggested that these longer races might be where he belongs. With the rear of the main group early, he made a rally in the lane and missed by only a nose to Home Brew.
Also on Sept. 24, Secret Oath got away from Nest in the Cotillion (G1) at Parx. She made an early bid to chase a distant second behind Society, who was winging it on the lead. She flattened out late to finish third, behind the pacesetter and local long shot Morning Matcha, who closed inside Secret Oath for the place.
On the same card as the Cotillion, Preakness alumni Simplification and Skippylongstocking contested the Pennsylvania Derby, finishing fourth and ninth, respectively; Belmont alumnus We the People also finished eighth.
Saturday, Fenwick made his third start since finishing ninth in the Preakness. In a first-level allowance going nine furlongs at Churchill, Fenwick chased mid-pack and flattened out down the lane. He crossed the wire eighth in the field of 11, 15 lengths behind up-and-coming sophomore Open Road.
| Preakness | Horse | Last Race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early Voting | 8th, Travers (G1) | No works since last race |
| 2 | Epicenter | 1st, Travers (G1) | Worked 4f Sun. at KEE |
| 3 | Creative Minister | 2nd, Bourbon Trail | No works since last race |
| 4 | Secret Oath | 3rd, Cotillion (G1) | No works since last race |
| 5 | Skippylongstocking | 9th, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 6 | Simplification | 4th, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 7 | Armagnac | 5th, Shared Belief | No works since last race |
| 8 | Happy Jack | 6th, H. Allen Jerkens (G1) | No works since last race |
| 9 | Fenwick | 8th, Allowance (Sat., CD) | No works since last race |
Belmont 2022 second-place finisher Nest, who has since won both the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and the Alabama (G1) in triumphant fashion, is gearing up for her first start against older fillies and mares. She put in a final work at Belmont on Saturday, going four furlongs in 49.42 seconds. She is expected to enter Saturday's Beldame (G2) at Aqueduct.
| Belmont | Horse | Last Race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mo Donegal | 1st, Belmont (G1) | Retired to stud at Spendthrift Farm |
| 2 | Nest | 1st, Alabama (G1) | Worked 4f Sat. at BEL |
| 3 | Skippylongstocking | 9th, Penn Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 4 | We the People | 8th, Penn Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 5 | Creative Minister | 2nd, Bourbon Trail | No works since last race |
| 6 | Rich Strike | 2nd, Lukas Classic (G2) | No works since last race |
| 7 | Barber Road | 7th, Belmont (G1) | No works since last race |
| 8 | Golden Glider | 6th, Curlin | No works since last race |