Los Angeles Times

Rich Strike's Belmont Stakes performance will determine if he's a one-hit wonder

Rich Strike, with Sonny Leon up, wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

The final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown has but one question to answer: Will Rich Strike be forever lumped with A-ha, Dexys Midnight Runners and Norman Greenbaum or will he forever be saddled with another question, "What if only he had run in the Preakness?"

There is nothing typical about the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes in a normal year, as it quite possibly will be the only time a horse runs that distance on the dirt. But the path that Rich Strike took to getting to Elmont, N.Y., is more atypical.

It started when he was the last horse to

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