#Sonny Leon

The 154th Belmont Stakes this Saturday will either prove to the racing world that Rich Strike was an overlooked star in the Kentucky Derby, or a fluke who got a lucky break in America's most famous horse race. The Derby champ, trained by Eric Reed and ridden by Sonny Leon, was kept out of the Preakness Stakes, forgoing a chance at Triple Crown…

The biggest underdog at the 2022 Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike, stunned the racing world on Saturday to win the 147th edition of the legendary race. Heading into the week, Rick Strike was not even in this year's race. The horse was a first alternate and was added to the Kentucky Derby on Friday after Ethereal Road was forced to drop out. That one…

Bettors who love to play long shots hit it big at the 148th Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Rich Strike, a late entrant in the grandest horse race, went off at 80-1 odds. Meaning a $10 Win bet on the Derby winner would've returned $818. He stunned the sports world on Saturday by winning by three-quarters of a length…

There is no complete Triple Crown at stake this year when the 154th Belmont Stakes is run this Saturday, June 11 (post time 6:45 p.m. ET, NBC). But after missing the Preakness Stakes following his shocking Kentucky Derby win, Rich Strike will return to the field to try to take a non-consecutive second jewel. While Preakness winner Early Voting and…

Anyone anticipating a return to normalcy in the Kentucky Derby got a dose of crazy Saturday when an 80-1 shot came charging up the rail to win at Churchill Downs. With favourite Epicenter and Zandon engaged in a duel at the front, Rich Strike stole the show with the second-biggest upset in the Derby's 148-year history. The chestnut colt beat 4-1…

The 2022 Belmont Stakes takes place at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Saturday, June 11, 2022 (6/11/22). Fans can watch the event for free via a trial of fuboTV. Here's what you need to know: What: Belmont Stakes 2022 When: Saturday, June 11, 2022 Time: Post-time is 6:49 p.m. ET, with coverage on NBC beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Where: Belmont…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter, who came up just shy of Grade 1 glory twice this spring in the Triple Crown, secured both his first top-level victory and a place at the top of the sophomore division with an emphatic 5 1/4-length victory under Joel Rosario in the 153rd renewal of the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million…

Rich Strike made history Saturday as the second-biggest longshot to win the Kentucky Derby in 148 years of the race. In the process, the Lexington-bred horse with 80-1 odds made his owner, trainer and jockey quite a bit of money. Here's a look at the Derby purse and payouts to the race's top finishers. Rich Strike received $1860000 of the Kentucky…

The 154th Belmont Stakes is the third and final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, and will take place Saturday evening at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. There will be no chance of a horse winning the Triple Crown this year, after Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike did not race in the Preakness in May. But Rich Strike will still have a chance at…

The horse from trainer Eric Reed was not even in the field before Friday and entered after another was scratched LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 07: Jockey Sonny Leon reacts as Rich Strike wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 07, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Rich Strike, a horse with…

Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike was bought for just $30000 - but landed the big cheque of $1.8m when he beat 80-1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby after his trainer almost gave up five years ago when a barn fire killed 23 of his horses. Now a two-time winner, Rich Strike wasn't even in the Derby field until Friday when Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne…

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Starting the most prestigious event in horse racing at 80-1 odds to win set Oklahoma horse owner Rick Dawson's thoroughbred up for one of the biggest upsets in racing history. Rich Strike and jockey Sonny Leon captured the nation by coming from behind in the 20-horse race to win the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby in May. 2…

POST-RACE footage of shock Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike biting a man and rival horse has been defended by the 80-1 hero's trainer. Eric Reed said Rich Strike was still in'killer mode' when he tried to eat outrider Greg Blasi and his horse. The three-year-old colt was filmed mauling Blasi's leg and trying to take a chunk out of the other horse…

One of the big betting races this weekend comes from Gulfstream Park, as the H. Allen Jerkens Handicap is the ninth race on the card. This race is due off at 4:11 p.m ET, and it will see a field of at least 12 runners compete over two miles on the turf. A number of runners are in with a chance this weekend, and more information about some of the…

The "Riders Up" call has been given. "New York, New York" has been sung. And the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes is now in the books. Mo Donegal won the 2022 Belmont Stakes, the oldest and longest Triple Crown race, in front of about 46000 people on a 73-degree, cloudy Saturday in Elmont, New York. Mo Donegal entered the eight-horse field as…

As the dust settled on Rich Strike's improbable 81-1 victory in the 148th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, the question of who would challenge him in the Preakness Stakes on May 21 in Baltimore, Maryland began to make the rounds across the country. Rich Strike, a last-minute Derby entrant who got a dream trip under jockey Sonny Leon for trainer Eric…

Rich Strike has won the 2022 Kentucky Derby as an 80/1 longshot, with Epicenter and Zandon finishing second and third. Read more to see the full results and betting payouts for the 148th running of the annual race. In one of the most shocking finishes ever, Rich Strike has won the 2022 Kentucky Derby! Rich Strike was ridden by jockey Sonny Leon and…

The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown and it will take place Saturday evening at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The year's derby will be one of the more interesting ones in recent memory since legendary trainer Bob Baffert will not be allowed at the track as he's serving a 90-day suspension. The ban was given to him by…

The 154th running of the Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday in Elmont, N.Y., with Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike returning after sitting out the Preakness. At 80-1, Rich Strike was the second-biggest long shot winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby. Although he didn't run in the Preakness, there was a Rich Strike effect. Fenwick opened…

Rich Strike, the 80-1 shot ridden by Sonny Leon and trained by Eric Reed, mounted a furious and improbable rally to capture the 148th Kentucky Derby on May 7. He was not even in the field until another horse was scratched the day before the race. But after skipping the Preakness Stakes on May 21, forgoing a shot at the Triple Crown, Rich Strike…

The sport of horse racing has produced many shocking results but perhaps none bigger than what happened on Saturday when rank outsider Rich Strike upstaged a classy field to win the 148th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, US. Sent off at odds of 84/1, Rich Strike, who was a late entry, was delivered from the back…

Rich Strike, the 80-1 shot ridden by Sonny Leon and trained by Eric Reed, mounted a furious and improbable rally to capture the 148th Kentucky Derby on May 7. He was not even in the field until another horse was scratched the day before the race. But after initially pointing the colt toward the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, Rich Strike's owner said…

So, fairy tales do not have legs in horse racing. If they did, Sonny Leon aboard Rich Strike would have been ding-donging down the stretch of the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Instead, a colt named Mo Donegal, trained by Todd Pletcher, who is based in New York, and ridden by the nation's top rider - another New Yorker, Irad Ortiz…

It's time for the final leg of horse racing's triple crown this weekend, as the Belmont Stakes, and one thing for sure is there will be no payday like we had in the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago. As usual, this is the smallest field of the three races with only eight horses scheduled to come out of the gate in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday afternoon at…

Two Emmys wins Saturday's Grade I Mr. D. Stakes at Arlington Park, the final gasp of what once was the Arlington Million. Photo by Coach Photography, courtesy of Arlington Park Aug. 16 (UPI) -- There was something for everyone in Saturday's presumed final run of "Million Day" at Arlington Park with a victory for top international raiders and…

We the People is shown heading heads for victory in the Peter Pan Stakes in May and favorite status for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. Photo by Dom Napolitano, courtesy of New York Racing Association June 10 (UPI) -- We the People is favored to win the Belmont Stakes Saturday in Elmont, N.Y. The final leg of the Triple Crown also will feature long-shot…

Triple Crown veteran Todd Pletcher had simple advice Saturday for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. before the Belmont Stakes. "Be patient," Pletcher said. "I think you have the best last quarter of any horse in the race." Sometimes, less is Mo. Mo Donegal pulled away down the home stretch and held off filly Nest to win the Belmont Stakes, giving Pletcher a…

In 1919, Sir Barton became the first of 13 horses to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, capturing what would become known as the Triple Crown, horse racing's most cherished and elusive prize. Before the Kentucky Derby is run each spring, every trainer, owner, jockey and bettor dreams of a Triple…

Rich Strike is the winner of the 148th Kentucky Derby at famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The horse entered the race with 80-1 odds to win. It's one of the biggest upsets in the history of the race. Epicenter (4-1) came in second, Zandon (6-1) finished third, and Simplification (35-1) finished fourth. Rich Strike takes home the $1.86…

In its field, the 2022 Travers resembles that cute little neighborhood restaurant that you think you've kept a secret until you turn around one evening and realize that everybody who's anybody in town has shown up. That Rich Strike and Early Voting, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners, didn't make the cut into the top three morning line favorites…

By Andy Serling FOX Sports Horse Racing Analyst When the field, projected at eight, breaks from the gate early Saturday evening for the 154th Belmont Stakes, the biggest question will be whether Rich Strike is a genuine player on the biggest stages or a one-hit-wonder. The race was drawn Tuesday morning. Eight horses are entered (Preakness winner…

Kentucky Derby hero closes out his season this weekend in the G1 Clark back at his favorite venue Churchill Downs. Steve Dennis talks to the colt's biggest fan, his trainer Eric Reed - the man with the golden toenails … USA: The Man with the Golden Gun, we know. But if Hollywood is looking for a sequel, another edge-of-the-seat thriller to draw the…

Rich Strike, the long shot winner of the Kentucky Derby, will make his triumphant return to the track Saturday in New York for the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes. Post time is scheduled for 6:49 p.m. ET and the race will be televised on NBC. While horse racing's Triple Crown is out of the picture, there's plenty of intrigue in Rich Strike's…

The mile-and-a-half Test of the Champion at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday is all that awaits the Triple Crown season for 2022. In reality, it will be more of a test to see if 80-1 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is more akin to the Beatles or Chumbawamba. Do we have a superstar or one-hit wonder in our midst? The answer comes against a field…

After so many things went right for Rich Strike to win the Kentucky Derby, he'll likely need even more good fortune at the Belmont Stakes with so much stacked against him. Rich Strike won't go off at odds of more than 80-1 this time, but even after bypassing the Preakness to run in the final leg of the Triple Crown, he's not expected to be the…

The 154 running of the Belmont Stakes will take place Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. While the Triple Crown won't be on the line, Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will be part of the eight-horse field. Post time for the race is set for approximately 6:49 p.m. In last year's edition of the race, favorite Essential Quality came in…

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images. Pictured: Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, with jockey Sonny Leon in the irons, at Churchill Downs. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, who became the second-biggest longshot to win the race in its 148-year history, will skip the Preakness Stakes on May 21, owner Rick Dawson announced Thursday via press release. That means…

NBC Sports and Peacock Present Nine Hours of Live Coverage of the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky Live Coverage of the Richest Two Days in Horse Racing Begins This Friday at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network & Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on USA Network; Saturday Coverage on NBC and Peacock Begins at 3:30…

Rich Strike pulled a huge upset during the 2022 Kentucky Derby by winning against 80-1 odds. The 3-year-old thoroughbred, along with Venezuelan jockey Sonny Leon, became the second biggest longshot to win in the 148-year history of the event. There had not been a bigger upset in over 100 years. Here is a full list of the 10 Kentucky Derby winners…

Will this weekend's Breeders' Cup Classic serve as the crowning moment for a horse that will go down in the history books, or will it be the setting for a major upset? We'll find out Saturday evening at Keeneland, which will host horse racing's World Championships for the third time and welcome one of the sport's biggest stars in recent memory. The…

All around the world, racing has reached saturation point. One race blurs into another, carnivals gasp for air as they pile on top of each other. In Australia yesterday, you had to strap yourself in to take it all in. It was Adelaide's brief time in the late autumn sun with a Group One. But there was also a Group Two up at the Gold Coast, some sort…

1 3/16ths (Dirt) Preakness Stakes (G1), $1 million, 3 (Saturday 21 May) The 147th running of the Preakness Stakes is on the clock... Now, that a Derby Champion was crowned last Saturday, it is time to turn our attention to Pimlico Race Course, which once again hosts the 2nd jewel in the Triple Crown. Entries will be taken... and as the field takes…

The Breeders' Cup World Championships return to Kentucky this weekend, and fans will get a look at some of the top thoroughbreds from the United States and abroad. Keeneland will be hosting the Breeders' Cup for the third time after the event made its debut at the track in 2015 and returned in 2020. There are 14 races on the Breeders' Cup slate,…

My Old Kentucky Home felt a lot like New York, New York on Saturday - before an upset of monumental scope rewrote the tune at the 148th Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike, a 80-1 long-shot who wasn't even scheduled to run at Churchill Downs until Friday, captured the Derby crown in shocking fashion, just ahead of Epicenter, Zandon, Simplification and Mo…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 80-to-1 upset by Rich Strike in Saturday's Kentucky Derby is undoubtedly one of the biggest shocks horse racing has seen in a long time. And the odds only tell part of the story. Rich Strike appears to be the first Derby winner ever purchased through a claim, which is essentially a type of race where every horse is for sale at…

When the long-shot Rich Strike blazed by Epicenter to take the Kentucky Derby in May, nobody was more surprised than the athlete's own jockey Sonny Leon, himself a first-time long shot Derby winner. Since then, the three-year-old son of Keen Ice has had exactly no wins, but he did place respectably behind Hot Rod Charlie in the Lukas Classic.…

Rich Strike, a horse only included in the race due to a late scratching, came charging up the rail to overtake the leaders in the closing strides for a stunning upset in the Kentucky Derby. The 148th running of the famous race saw one of the biggest outsiders to ever finish first, with Rich Strike paying $163.60 on course and a whopping $254 with…

The bracing uncertainties of there being no runaway favorite for this afternoon's $3-million 2022 Kentucky Derby illuminate the robustness of the three-year-old Class of'22, as well as that of equine America, and that gives faithful Derby players many ways to cut the complex pie of their exotics. But there's still a blistering race to be run to…

I spent the last few seconds of the 2022 Kentucky Derby in shock as 80-1 longshot Rich Strike ran down favored Epicenter at the wire. Rich Strike practically bounced around after the race, biting at his lead pony and looking like he could do the whole thing all over again. Meanwhile I was almost scratching my head in disbelief. Weird things happen…

The Race to the KY Derby Is On: A Look at the Various Roadtrips (Secret Oath / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Kentucky Derby fans across the world will be eyeing Hot Springs, Ark. on Saturday as outstanding 3-year-old filly Secret Oath, trained by 86-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, will take on the boys…