Preakness Stakes moves to a Sunday for the first time ever in major Triple Crown shakeup

Sweeping changes to equine racing whitethorn alteration the mode the Triple Crown volition beryllium viewed forever.

Last week, Churchill Downs Incorporated and the New York Racing Association announced a six-race title bid that includes the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, the Matt Winn Stakes astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville successful July, and the Jim Dandy and the Travers Stakes astatine Saratoga Race Course aboriginal successful the summer. It is besides scheduled to person a title contention astatine Churchill Downs successful September up of the Breeders' Cup successful the fall, which successful 2027 is acceptable to instrumentality spot astatine Belmont Park connected Long Island.

However, 1 of those Triple Crown races volition alteration its accustomed spot connected the calendar successful an effort to amended attendance, which has severely dwindled successful caller years.

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Jockey Umberto Rispoli crosses the decorativeness enactment connected Journalism to triumph the 150th Preakness Stakes astatine Pimlico Race Course connected May 17, 2025, successful Baltimore, Maryland. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

After back-to-back Kentucky Derby winners did not contention successful the Preakness Stakes, the 2027 contention volition beryllium tally 3 weeks and a time aft the Derby, alternatively of its accustomed two-week spread aft the Derby.

This means that a Triple Crown contention volition beryllium tally connected a Sunday for the archetypal clip ever. The Preakness volition spell disconnected connected May 23, 2027, 22 days aft the Kentucky Derby connected May 1, 2027.

The displacement marks a large alteration connected the equine racing calendar aft three-quarters of a period during which the Preakness took spot 2 weeks to the time aft the Derby was tally connected the archetypal Saturday successful May, with the lone objection of 2020 due to the fact that of the pandemic.

Maryland Jockey Club CEO Bill Knauf acknowledged the contented portion besides calling this the clip to determination the Preakness back.

"It’s been discussed for a precise agelong clip (and) we recognized the antithetic trends and grooming methods recently," Knauf told The Associated Press. "We entered the treatment possibly adjacent saying, 'Hey, is 2 weeks the close amount? I deliberation the week was the close placement. It inactive gives an unthinkable trial for a equine and a champion to spell done that, adjacent astatine 3 weeks."

The purpose is to get much Derby horses to enactment successful the 2nd limb of the Triple Crown. For decades, that was the norm, but it has go progressively uncommon successful caller years. Two consecutive and 3 of the past 5 Derby winners person bypassed the Preakness to purpose for the last jewel, the Belmont Stakes, successful June. Of the 95 horses who ran successful the Derby dating backmost to 2022, conscionable 13 person gone to the Preakness (13.7%), with conscionable 1 victor successful that group.

Golden Tempo pulls up of Commandment and Renegade down the beforehand agelong during the 2026 Belmont Stakes astatine Saratoga Race Course. (Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images)

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Golden Tempo won the Derby, skipped the Preakness, past won the Belmont Stakes earlier this year.

For astatine slightest 1 year, it volition mean conscionable a 13-day spread betwixt the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. But 1 could speculate that it would beryllium hard to skip the last limb of the Triple Crown if everything is connected the line.

The aforementioned six-race title series, which does not see the Preakness Stakes, volition person a $5 cardinal prize excavation and volition statesman successful 2027.

"This bid is designed to showcase the sport’s champion 3-year-olds crossed a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the adjacent procreation of fans," NYRA President and CEO David O’Rourke said successful a statement.

The tract for the 151st moving of the Kentucky Derby makes it past the grandstands for the archetypal clip connected Saturday, May 3, 2025, astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville. (Michael Clevenger and O'Neil Arnold/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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"By connecting these premier events done 1 championship, we’re creating a season-long storyline that benefits the aboriginal of thoroughbred racing," Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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