Lindsy Reed was a vital squad member that pulled off one of the greatest upsets in racing history, beating the odds by 80.80-1. Woodford Reserve presented the appearance of Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby. Eric Reed is supported by his wife, Kay, and their daughter, Lindsy.

The family runs Mercury Equine Center in Lexington, Kentucky. One hundred sixty stalls, a five-eighths-mile training track, and an equestrian pool at the complex. Lindsy, 26, is so dedicated to the 60-acre farm that she moved there after a fire in December 2016 killed 23 horses and destroyed one of three barns, suspected to be caused by a lightning strike.

Rich Strike, a former $30,000 claimer known around the barn as "Richie," will try to prove he is more than a one-race wonder in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets on June 11 at Belmont Park.

In a diary by Tom Pedulla, Lindsy is taking America's Best Racing fans along for the adventure. I'll be the first to confess that when Richie won the Kentucky Derby, I was as surprised as everyone else. If he wins the Belmont, I will not be surprised. I fully anticipate him to do so.

He's had a great run since the Derby, even though it wasn't a particularly demanding race. He didn't appear to be a horse who had made a valiant attempt to win the most important race of his life. Most of the other horses in the pasture were hot and sweaty, blowing constantly. He wasn't blowing in any way. 'Are we done?' he asked. 'I'd want some more.'We believe he was physically capable of handling the two weeks in between Derby and the Preakness. But we didn't like the Preakness distance, and my father thought it would be too mentally taxing.

My father taught me a long time ago that the psychological side of things is just as vital as, if not more important than, what is going on physically. If you ask a horse to accomplish what he's capable of, he will rapidly become irritated with you, and you'll never be able to get him back into shape. The horse is an integral part of our work. We don't compel him to cooperate with us. He dictates everything we do.

My father can read a horse's thinking just by looking at them. Horses communicate with him, and he listens. Richie has been expressing his want for space for quite some time. As a result, we avoided doing anything that would jeopardise his prospects in the mile-and-a-half Belmont. The majority of horses are incapable of covering so much ground. He'll adore it.

My father planned to do much of the Belmont preparations at Churchill Downs to stay ahead of a track he adores. Richie's two brilliant works demonstrated how much he has evolved during this time. On May 21, he ran four furlongs in 47.20 seconds and then a blazing five-furlong run in 59 [seconds] flat.30th of MayThey was precisely what my father had requested. They were Richie saying, 'Guys, I'm ready.' Let's get this party started!'With most of our horses, we are as palm as possible.

My father and the groom drove from Churchill to Belmont Park in the van overnight. Richie was a natural traveller who quickly acclimated to his unfamiliar setting. In his morning gallops, he's gliding across the course. He's even interacting with his pony, which he didn't do during the Derby!

Richie's manner will not be altered to accommodate the Belmont distance, according to my father and our jockey, Sonny Leon. He is not a sprinter. He prefers to take his own, ease off the gas, and sprint. Believe me when I say that the Derby was no accident. The stamina of this horse is incredible. When everyone else is doing it'll merely be jumping into gear because he's exhausted.

This time, I'm sure. In the Belmont, Richie will sweep them off their feet!