Mark Anthony Thomas, a member of the Greater Baltimore Committee, received numerous urgent text messages from members of the horse racing business community. The recent adjustments to the Triple Crown races have raised concerns about whether this iconic racing achievement might lose its significance in the years to come. With new scheduling decisions being made, the impact on the sport's most celebrated title is now under close examination. "There was immediate concern on two parts," Thomas said. "One, does this mean the Triple Crown loses its luster? And then second is, how do we fortify the Triple Crown to where it retains its prominence within horse racing?"
The Kentucky Derby will continue its long-standing tradition of taking place on the first Saturday in May. The Preakness, once considered the heart of the Triple Crown, has been moved to Sunday, May 23. Meanwhile, the Belmont Stakes has been scheduled for Saturday, June 5, which creates a highly demanding 13-day gap between the second and third races of the series. This compressed timeline is expected to make it even more difficult for top horses to complete all three events. The Preakness is moving back to three weeks and a day after the Derby, which will lead off a brand new series of races — and now there are more new questions about the future of the Triple Crown. The 13-day turnaround, especially with the Belmont going back to 1 1/2 miles, is an incredibly difficult ask for even the best 3-year-olds and figures to make it a choice between that race and Preakness for at least next year.
Belmont's role in the series
The newly introduced Thoroughbred Championship Series will now spotlight the Kentucky Derby. The Belmont Stakes are included, while the Preakness has been omitted from the lineup. Bill Knauf, the CEO of the Maryland Jockey Club, highlighted that the Triple Crown is still a difficult challenge. Any horse must overcome this by winning all three races. Only the most exceptional athletes can achieve this. The series appears to be a shift in strategy for the sport. It has not been received without debate. "One of the trainers said it to me a few days ago, 'The Triple Crown is supposed to be hard, and it's not meant to be easy,'" Knauf said. "It's a test, and so the great, great horses are the ones that can finish it and complete it and win all three."
In recent seasons, more and more trainers and owners have started to avoid the Preakness. This happens after competing—or even winning—the Kentucky Derby. This trend has grown significantly. Two straight Derby champions and three of the past five winners have opted to skip the middle race. They focus on the Belmont Stakes. As a result, even the most traditional-minded members of the industry have started to reconsider their views. They are considering the timing and structure of the Triple Crown races. Stakeholders, even some of the most staunch traditionalists, began to change their minds about the spacing of the Triple Crown. "We made the decision upon what we felt was the best move for the Preakness long term," Knauf said when asked about the concern over the short gap. "That's what we control, and that's what the decision was based off of."
A nine-year dry spell
As a direct consequence of the new scheduling decisions, 2027 is expected to be the ninth year in a row without a Triple Crown winner. If this continues, it would mark the longest stretch without a champion in the history of the series. Before American Pharoah's historic win in 2015, the last Triple Crown champion was Affirmed in 1978. During those 37 years, the difficulty of the Triple Crown remained a frequent topic of discussion among fans and industry professionals. What was wrong with the Triple Crown that needed fixing? Depending on who you talk to in the industry, there are very different answers to that question. During much of the 37-year drought between Affirmed winning the Triple Crown in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015, there was plenty of debate over whether it was too difficult for modern 3-year-olds to sweep three races over a five-week span.
The Triple Crown has always been a demanding challenge for young 3-year-old horses. The new compressed schedule could force even the top contenders to choose between the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. This decision will likely become a standard issue for trainers and owners in the coming years. It adds another layer of complexity to an already difficult pursuit.
David O'Rourke, president and CEO of the New York Racing Association, expressed his reluctance to predict the long-term effects of future scheduling changes. He pointed out that the industry would need to thoroughly reassess and discuss the possible consequences if more adjustments were to occur down the line. The uncertainty surrounding the future of the Triple Crown highlights the need for ongoing dialogue among stakeholders. O'Rourke on Monday said "in no way does this touch the Triple Crown." "Each spring, the Triple Crown captures the public imagination, creates new fans and brings people together," O'Rourke said. "The new series builds on the success"
Business decisions behind the change
In April, Churchill Downs, Inc. reached a deal to acquire the Preakness intellectual property from 1/ST Racing for $85 million. The company has announced plans to license the race to Maryland on an annual basis. Although the financial agreement might have had some influence on the scheduling shift, the full impact of this transaction is still unclear. The change in ownership and management of the Preakness may be one of the factors shaping the current direction of the Triple Crown. Maryland officials were never party to the discussions between NYRA and Churchill Downs Inc. The six-race series takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; Belmont Park on Long Island and Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. It is unclear how much, if at all, a couple of business transactions had on the situation. "I don't know if I even realized what the IP acquisition would mean for the industry as a whole as far as the earthquake that would come of that," Thomas said. The Preakness' absence was noteworthy. Columns appeared calling the Triple Crown dead.
"This is not a eulogy." That was how The Maryland Jockey Club chair James T. Dresher opened his remarks Thursday at The Jockey Club's Round Table Conference in Saratoga Springs, before arguing that moving the Preakness Stakes one week later beginning in 2027 was necessary to preserve the Triple Crown. "In our estimation, to save the Triple Crown, you have to save the Preakness," Dresher said. "We know what everyone else knows: the Triple Crown is critically important to our industry." The comments came one day after Maryland officials announced the Preakness Stakes will move from its traditional third Saturday in May to the fourth Sunday beginning in 2027, creating a 22-day gap after the Kentucky Derby. According to Dresher, the decision to move the Preakness was made about a month ago after officials concluded the traditional Triple Crown schedule had become increasingly difficult to sustain. "We know that three of the last five Derby winners have skipped the Preakness, including the last two," he said. "That's why NBC wanted this contract and moved it back one week. We think this will be very good for racing, and NBC agrees with us." The remarks expanded on Wednesday's announcement, which said the later date better reflects modern training practices and is intended to encourage more Kentucky Derby starters to continue on to Baltimore. Dresher also emphasized that Maryland's commitment to the Preakness extends well beyond the calendar change. He highlighted the state's more than $520 million investment in rebuilding Pimlico Race Course and redeveloping Laurel Park as a dedicated training center, calling it evidence that Maryland has 'stepped up for the Preakness and the Triple Crown and the racing industry.' He said the state's recent acquisition of the Preakness intellectual property rights followed unanimous recommendations from the Maryland Jockey Club, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and the Greater Baltimore Committee. Gov. Wes Moore ultimately agreed the state should acquire the intellectual property to keep the Preakness in Maryland. Despite describing Maryland as 'the new shiny penny' of Mid-Atlantic racing as Pimlico's redevelopment nears completion, Dresher stressed that the region's future depends on cooperation rather than competition. 'We know we need to support regional racing and breeding,' he said. 'New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia all need to thrive.' Dresher said Maryland's investment is ultimately about strengthening one of racing's signature events. 'The Triple Crown is one of our most cherished sporting events, and clearly the most important in our industry,' he said. 'We look forward to working with New York and Kentucky to move the Triple Crown forward and watching it grow.' This story was originally published by Paulick Report on Aug 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.