A landmark week for the Triple Crown and the North American 3-year-old division continued Aug. 5 as the new version of the Maryland Jockey Club announces a date change for its most important race, the Preakness Stakes (G1).
The MJC said it will move the 2027 Preakness date from its longtime slot of the third Saturday in May to the fourth Sunday of the month. This Sunday date, which is the plan going forward, means in 2027 the race will be 22 days after the Kentucky Derby (G1), the season's first Triple Crown race. Under tradition going back decades, the Preakness has been run two weeks after the Derby.
Also Wednesday, the MJC announced an extension that will see NBC Sports cover the Preakness through 2032.
Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager Bill Knauf believes the date change will better position the race to attract the Kentucky Derby winner as well as other runners from the first leg of the Triple Crown that continues on its traditional date of the first Saturday in May, which in 2027 will be May 1. He acknowledged that changing the decades-long history of the Preakness being run two weeks after the Derby was a tough decision but the new placement better fits into modern training methods.
"Other professional sports constantly reevaluate their rules. Now is the time for this change," Knauf said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. "Moving the Preakness one week later … is going to allow us far greater participation; that is simply the goal. But I think at three weeks it also maintains the test of the champion, and it takes a lot to do it."
READ: Preakness Stakes Date to Move to Fourth Sunday of May
It's a big move for the Maryland Jockey Club as this will be the first Preakness under the oversight of the now not-for-profit entity. Former MJC owner The Stronach Group (1/ST Racing) closed out its Preakness run this year.
The main goal of the date change is to bring back Kentucky Derby runners, especially the winner, to the Preakness. The past two years the connections of a healthy Kentucky Derby winner have opted to skip the Preakness in favor of starting in the Belmont Stakes (G1) five weeks later. The approach paid off for both horses as Sovereignty won those two races in 2025 and Golden Tempo completed that classic double this season.
While the extra time between the Derby and Preakness may give Derby connections more reason to consider the Preakness, the problem now may be that the 2027 Preakness is scheduled just 13 days before the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes, which in 2027 is scheduled for June 5.
In response to the new date for the Preakness, a New York Racing Association spokesperson said, "as announced earlier this week, the 2027 Belmont Stakes is scheduled to held at the new Belmont Park on Saturday, June 5."
Moore expressed hope for the new date.
"We are going to move it back to be able to ensure that the winner of the Kentucky Derby will then be prepared to compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown, because the Triple Crown will continue, and it will continue to be Preakness," Moore said. "By moving the date, you're then providing additional time and space for our horses, and the people who compete in the Derby, to be able to then compete to be part of that Triple Crown."
Will the change be enough as the entire three-race series will continue to be contested over five weeks, the traditional time frame that other than a COVID year has been in place since 1956? With modern training practices aiming to produce top-notch efforts in every start, or nearly every start, the five-week rest period between the Kentucky Derby and Belmont is fairly typical for top runners, who often receive even longer rests than non-stakes horses.
Running three races in a five-week timeframe certainly is an anomaly in modern racing. The average number of starts in 2025 for all horses competing was just 5.79. That number has been under 6.1 each year since 2019 and under 7.0 each year since 2000.
Still, Moore believes the lure of the Triple Crown will continue to attract top runners and horsemen to the Preakness. The five most recent winners of the Triple Crown, Justify , American Pharoah, Affirmed, Seattle Slew, and Secretariat, completed the sweep in a five-week scenario.
"I will always bet on Maryland," Moore said. "The Preakness can and will remain the second jewel of the Triple Crown, and nothing will change that. And by the way, winning the Triple Crown? That's the dream. That's the dream of every single jockey, every single owner, every single horse. The reason that we know that is because we know the name Secretariat. We know the name War Admiral. We know their names because they won the most prized treasure in the entire industry, in the entire sport.
"So here's my message: If you want to win the Triple Crown, we'll see you in Baltimore."
The three hosts of the Triple Crown races clearly are no longer working together. The Wednesday announcement of the Preakness date change and television agreement extension follows a Monday announcement by the other two Triple Crown hosts, Churchill Downs Inc. and NYRA, that they will launch a six-race series for 3-year-olds that will offer $5 million in bonus money.
The series, which includes the Derby and Belmont, does not include the Preakness and all six races will be contested from May 1 through September at Churchill Downs in Kentucky or Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course in New York. That race standing also figures to impact horses being considered for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
READ: New 3-Year-Old Series Brings Excitement, Concerns
While that significant bonus money makes the new series attractive, some Kentucky Derby-winning horsemen this week acknowledged the continuing pull of the Preakness and the Triple Crown.
"Bringing the Derby winner to the Preakness is unlike anything else in racing," said trainer Graham Motion in an MJC release. "I was lucky enough to experience it with Animal Kingdom. The energy is incredible, and it feels like the whole crowd is behind you. It's a moment every trainer dreams of."
In a Monday social media post after the CDI-NYRA announcement of the new series, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said, "The greatest achievement in racing will always be winning the Triple Crown—The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. The Triple Crown has sustained our sport for more than 150 years, and it will continue to do so for another 150 years or more if we appreciate and care for it.
"The Preakness is integral to racing's history, present, and future, and I hope nothing detracts from its significance."
Also, things can change. On Monday NYRA president and CEO David O'Rourke didn't discount the idea of the Preakness being added to the series at some point.
"In terms of what we're doing today, we're announcing the beginning of it," O'Rourke said Monday. "We wanted to set the foundation, but in no way does this touch the Triple Crown."
Beyond hopes of attracting more Derby horses with the new date, MJC officials noted that in many years it will fall on Memorial Day weekend. While next year will be an exception, Knauf said it will be the case in four of the next six years and provides a chance to make Baltimore the focus of the holiday weekend celebrations.
Other changes include the date for the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) for 3-year-old fillies It traditionally has been conducted on the Friday before the classic but will now move to Saturday and NBC Sports is on board for coverage.
"We are going to build a championship weekend in Baltimore, with the Black-Eyed Susan now on Saturday. In most years, this new date falls on Memorial Day weekend, and 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."
Also providing a lift: The race will return to its traditional home of Pimlico Race Course next season. While the facility, which is undergoing a complete rebuild of the frontside, will not have new amenities ready for 2027, the plan is to return the race to the Baltimore track and make heavy use of temporary seating. In 2026 Laurel Park served as the home of the classic as reconstruction began at Pimlico. When complete, the new facility should prove attractive and a better revenue generator for MJC.
As the new television extension plays out, NBC will become the longest-running broadcaster of the Preakness.
"We have successfully secured the future of the Preakness here in the state of Maryland for decades to come; and I am delighted that the Maryland Jockey Club has renewed its media partnership with NBC and Peacock as we enter this exciting new era," 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."
Beyond the agreement to present the Black-Eyed Susan day and Preakness day cards, Knauf noted that under the agreement NBC Sports will also broadcast its Maryland Million race day for state-breds as well as its Preakness Preview day highlighted by the Federico Tesio Stakes.
Jon Miller, president of acquisitions and partnerships at NBC Sports, acknowledged that because he was born and raised in Maryland and has attended every Preakness presented by NBC back to 2001, the event is close to his heart. He said the added week also will allow extra promotion of the race as NBC Sports also offers such events as the Kentucky Derby and NBA Playoffs that time of year.
"We are excited to continue our relationship as the media home of the Preakness Stakes and look forward to an enhanced schedule, showcasing Maryland's best races on both Saturday and Sunday," Miller said. "This extension is a testament to the strength of the relationship between the Maryland Jockey Club and NBC Sports and underscores our commitment to horse racing."
READ: Maryland Completes Preakness Rights Purchase
With the announcement of the CDI-NYRA race series as well as an effort earlier this year by CDI to purchase the intellectual property rights of the Preakness fresh in mind, Moore leaned into the theme of Maryland ownership of the race. The new MJC operates Maryland racing while the state owns the properties of Pimlico Race Course, and Laurel Park, with plans to use Laurel as a training center; as well as those intellectual rights for the Preakness. For the latter, the state acted upon its right of first refusal, completing that $85 million acquisition July 30.
"We control our own destiny," Moore said. "We don't need others' help to do it."
Mark Anthony Thompson, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee, reiterated that message.
"The Preakness is one of (our) great assets," Thompson said. "The Preakness is a globally recognized brand. It is a major driver of tourism and our state's cultural economy. It is the centerpiece of our equine industry, and most importantly, y'all, the Preakness is ours."
The new approach for the race also plans to lean into community, including investment in the Park Heights neighborhood the track calls home. Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore, who serves on the Preakness Festival board, noted the importance of this inclusive approach.
"Preakness is not just about a race; it is about preserving our history," Dawn Moore said. "It is about uplifting communities, and it is about embracing our culture. It is about believing that the story of our past does not limit our future. Together, we can write a new chapter; a chapter where all Maryland families share in the opportunity they helped create. A chapter where Maryland businesses grow. A chapter where families across the nation put Preakness on their bucket list."
