Preakness Shift and New Racing Series Raise Doubts About the Triple Crown
Two announcements in three days leave the Preakness 13 days before the Belmont, all but guaranteeing a ninth straight year without a Triple Crown winner.
Two changes unveiled this week have unsettled the future of horse racing's most recognizable product, the Triple Crown.
On Monday came the announcement of a new Thoroughbred Championship Series featuring the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes — but not the Preakness. Two days later, Maryland officials confirmed the Preakness will move to three weeks and a day after the Derby, to Sunday, May 23. The Belmont is set for Saturday, June 5, and will return to a mile and a half.
That leaves a 13-day turnaround between the second and third legs, which figures to force owners into a choice between the two races next year. Combined, the moves all but ensure 2027 will be a ninth consecutive year without a Triple Crown winner.
"We made the decision upon what we felt was the best move for the Preakness long term," Maryland Jockey Club CEO Bill Knauf said. "That's what we control." He added that the Belmont's timing is "honestly up to them, wholeheartedly," and said Maryland officials were never party to the discussions between the New York Racing Association and Churchill Downs Inc.
NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke said Monday that "in no way does this touch the Triple Crown," arguing the six-race series "builds on the success of the Triple Crown and adds to it." The series runs at Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.
Mark Anthony Thomas of the Greater Baltimore Committee said he fielded worried messages from the business community: "Does this mean the Triple Crown loses its luster?"
In April, Churchill Downs agreed to buy the Preakness intellectual property from outgoing owner 1/ST Racing for $85 million. Maryland, holding a right of first refusal, matched in June. Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday he did not believe the Preakness's exclusion was retaliation, saying it "validated why we made the decision." Churchill Downs declined to comment.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert endorsed the new series on social media while calling the Preakness "integral to racing's history, present and future."
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.