Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike won't run in the Preakness, focusing on Belmont in June

According to the horse's trainer, Rick Dawson, the decision was made not to race the three-year-old Thoroughbred in the upcoming race because he hasn't raced twice in such a short span of time.

"Our original plan for Rich Strike was contingent on the Kentucky Derby," Dawson explained in a press release. "Should we not run in the Derby, we would point toward the Preakness; should we run in the Derby, subject to the race outcome and the condition of our horse, we would give him more recovery time and rest and run in the Belmont, or another race and stay on course to run with five or six weeks' rest between races..."

Dawson admitted that the Derby victory tempted him to change his plans for Rich Strike, but that he needs to do what is best for the horse.

"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, 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 made headlines for entering the Kentucky Derby field last minute as a fill-in for another horse and then pulling ahead of race favorites Epicenter and Zandon in the final leg to win the race. Dawson's horse was an 80-1 long shot, becoming the winner with the second-longest odds in Kentucky Derby history.