On June 11, the third jewel of the Triple Crown will be missing the winner of the middle. Preakness winner Early Voting reportedly will skip the Belmont Stakes, and runner-up Epicenter is doubtful for the time being.
Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, meanwhile, will be racing after missing the Preakness, his trainer Eric Reed confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday.
Early Voting was withheld from the Derby in preparation for the Preakness, a decision from his team that helped lead to his win in Baltimore on Saturday.
MORE: Who won the Preakness Stakes in 2022? Full results, finish order & highlights from the race
Epicenter was not only the second-place finisher in the Preakness, he also was the incoming favorite and runner-up at Churchill Downs. His trainer has indicated he'll be racing in the Travers Stakes in August.
Why isn't Early Voting racing in the Belmont Stakes?
Early Voting's trainer Dave Brown sang his horse's praises after the win.
“He's only run four times and he's done everything we asked him to do,” Brown said, per the Paulick Report. “He breaks good from the gate. He makes his own trips. He carries his speed a route of ground. He's a fighter in the stretch. He deserves all the credit here."
Early Voting is looking like his next race will be the Haskell Invitational on July 23 or the Jim Dandy Stakes July 30. Brown was non-committal in discussing what was next, however.
“We’ll evaluate later on and pick a race,” he said, per Daily Racing Form. “We want to set him up for what lies ahead.”
From there, it appears the Travers Stakes are in play.
When was the last Triple Crown winner?
Some of the drama of the Preakness was lost with Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike sidelined to prepare for the Belmont Stakes. That confirmed Justified would remain the last Triple Crown winner, having achieved the feat in 2018.
Before Justified, American Pharaoh won in 2015, snapping a 37-year drought when Affirmed won in 1978.
