ANN ARBOR, MARYLAND — Rich Strike, the Kentucky Derby winner, was back in the race at Churchill Downs 12 hours earlier. Early Voting took the Preakness Stakes. He was preparing for such Belmont Stakes.

 According to trainer Eric Reed, rich Strike will still run in the Belmont, told The News Agency on Sunday.

However, there will be no showdown between the unexpected Derby winner and the Preakness winner. The owner and trainer of Early Voting revealed that the colt would skip the Belmont and instead train him this summer in preparation again for a $1.25 million Income Approach at Saratoga Racing Track in New York on Aug. 27.

Minutes after Early Voting defeated favorite Epicenter to win the one 3/16-mile Preakness, founder Seth Klarman and trainer Chad Brown cast some doubt on the Belmont, citing the mile-and-a-half distance.

Brown remarked, "There'll be some competition before (the Travers)." "We'll bring him out to Belmont, evaluate him, give him some training.

Epicentre, who finished second both in Kentucky Derby and the Preakness for the first time in a decade, is eager to move for such Belmont, and this would be his third match in five weeks. Based on Epicenter's current schedule, CEO Ron Winchell said, "that's a reach."

Rich Strike's owner, Rick Dawson, chose to give him extra rest after the 80-1 photograph won the Derby over attempting a comeback two weeks later inside the P, which has been won by the healthy horse returning off a six-week hiatus. On Saturday, Reed termed skipping the Preakness "one of the hardest tasks" he'd ever made, adding that he didn't think Rich would be mentally prepared for the race.

Rich Strike will now remain at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, until the end of the month before flying to New York.

I can't change anything yet because he works so well here, said Reed. "At Belmont, he'll have eight or nine days to gallop and become accustomed to the new surface.

Sonny Leon, a little-known jockey who won the Derby with the perfect trip, will mount Rich Strike inside the Belmont.

 Entered rich Strike sometime before the deadline after a horse pulled a horse from the Derby. On the Preakness undercard on Saturday, that horse, Ethereal Road, rallied from behind to win the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes. D. Wayne Lukas, 86, a Hall of Fame coach who began foremost himself for not allowing Ethereal Road to race in the Derby, said, "We can surely build after this."

 Luis Saez,  who won Sir Barton at 1 1/16 mile, didn't appear concerned by the longer Belmont.

" Saez responded," "I'm sure he can go a little longer."

A Lukas-trained filly placed fourth inside the Preakness; Secret Oath will not run inside the Belmont. The optimum schedule for the Kentucky Oaks winner, according to Lukas, includes races at Saratoga in July and August, as well as one at Parx beyond Philadelphia in September, before the Breeders' Cup in early November.

Other Preakness horses, including third-place finisher Creative Minister, are Belmont contenders. The Belmont is the idea, said trainer Kenny McPeek, because Creative Minister's pedigree indicates that the extended distance will benefit him.