The Preakness Stakes is moving to three weeks and a day after the Kentucky Derby and is set to be run on a Sunday for the first time.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Jockey Club announced the move Wednesday. No Triple Crown race has ever been run on a Sunday in the century-plus-old history of the series.
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The shift marks a major change on the horse racing calendar, following significant debate and speculation. Except for 2020 during the pandemic, the Preakness has taken place on the third Saturday in May, two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, since 1950.
“We acknowledge the great history of the traditional Triple Crown spacing between races but recognize that change must always be examined,” Maryland Jockey Club CEO Bill Knauf said. “This is common in all professional sports. Now is the time for the Preakness.”
The aim is to get more Derby horses to participate in the second leg of the Triple Crown. For decades, it was normalcy but has become increasingly rare in recent years.
Two consecutive and three of the past five Derby winners have bypassed the Preakness to aim for the final jewel, the Belmont Stakes in June. Of the 95 horses who ran in the Derby dating to 2022, just 13 have gone to the Preakness (13.7%) with just one winner in that group.
“We believe the Preakness and the entire Triple Crown series are positioned for growth and great success,” Knauf said. "This extra week between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness opens the Preakness to potential participants who use modern training methods.”
For at least next year, it has the chance to produce the opposite effect, with the Belmont scheduled for June 5. Going from a three-week to a 13-day gap between the Preakness and Belmont could force owners and trainers to choose between them, given that modern 3-year-old thoroughbreds typically get significantly more time off.
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who with American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 is the only trainer to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, said in a social media post Monday that if he has the right horse from the Kentucky Derby, he will continue to go to the Preakness annually. That was in response to the unveiling of a new championship series of races at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Belmont Park on Long Island and Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York and does not — for now — include the Preakness.
Future changes to the schedule are always possible beyond 2027. The shift does put the Preakness on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend beginning in 2028 and running through '31.
“We believe this creates tremendous excitement for our local economy and businesses,” Knauf said. "Baltimore will become the place to be on Memorial Day weekends, as the spotlight of the racing world descends on Pimlico.”
The change comes with an extension of the media rights agreement with NBC Sports through 2032. The Preakness — as well as the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for fillies on the third Saturday in May — will air on NBC and Peacock for the next six years.
NBC Sports President of Acquisitions of Partnerships Jon Miller called it “an enhanced schedule, showcasing Maryland’s best races on both Saturday and Sunday” and said it underscores the network's commitment to horse racing.
Moore said: “The continuation of this relationship and the new schedule ensures optimal and accessible coverage for everyone from horse racing experts to casual fans, as our administration continues making historic investments and leveraging the iconic race as a cornerstone of Maryland’s history, culture and economy.”
Those investments include a $500 million reconstruction of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, where the Preakness will return next year in a limited capacity after a one-time stop at Laurel Park. The full, new Pimlico is expected to be completed by the spring of 2028.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing