By The Washington Times (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-07 13:56:01 | Updated at 2026-08-07 17:28:24
6 hours ago
A new six-race horse championship that excludes Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course could mean the end of the Preakness Stakes as a premium sporting event.
The Thoroughbred Championship Series launching next year will travel from Churchill Downs in Kentucky to Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course in New York. It includes the first and last jewels of the Triple Crown — the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes — but skips the middle jewel in Maryland.
Private Churchill Downs Inc., which owns the Derby, says it designed the series with the nonprofit New York Racing Association “around a shared vision for a season-long championship” extending into September that doesn’t include the Preakness.
The series will give points to the nation’s best three-year-old colts throughout the season, as they compete for individual race purses and a $5 million total prize pool.
“The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont will all be run next year, but only the Derby and Belmont will produce points for the Thoroughbred Championship Series,” Breck Thomas-Ross, Churchill Downs’ senior communication director, said in an email.
He said the series remains open to including more races in the future.
“The new series builds on the success of the Triple Crown and adds to it: more world-class racing, more stories to tell, and a stronger foundation for the sport’s future,” said David O’Rourke, president and CEO of the racing association.
Some fans have speculated that Churchill Downs excluded Baltimore from the series as retaliation against Maryland for blocking the company’s purchase of the Preakness. The company declined to comment on that.
“Excluding the Preakness gives the appearance these organizations chose to focus on their individual wants versus overall growth of the horse racing industry,” said Leslie Warder, an Annapolis resident who attended her first Preakness Stakes in May.
She urged Churchill Downs and the racing association not to alienate “the very fan base the industry counts on.”
Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said Kentucky and New York showed with the announcement “exactly where they believe the future of Thoroughbred racing lies, and Maryland was on the outside looking in.”
The Upper Shore Republican blasted Democratic Gov. Wes Moore for choosing to “own the liability” of the Preakness Stakes by purchasing it for $85 million late last month instead of pursuing “a long-term partnership” with the two larger organizations.
Most racing analysts see the snub as a major blow to the Preakness’ long-term prestige and financial viability — especially given that Mr. Moore has also spent $400 million to renovate Pimlico and $48.5 million to buy Laurel Park.
The Inside The Pylons account on X.com described the new series in an Aug. 2 post as a “kill the Preakness” plan.
Three of the past five Derby winners have skipped the Preakness two weeks later to rest for the Belmont, which occurs five weeks after the Derby, adding to a yearslong decline in Maryland’s clout.
Maryland officials announced Wednesday they will move the Preakness next year from the second Saturday of May to the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, with NBC continuing to air it.
“The continuation of our partnership and the new schedule ensures optimal and accessible coverage for everyone from horse racing experts to casual fans, as our administration makes historic investments to leverage the iconic race as a cornerstone of Maryland’s history, culture and economy,” Mr. Moore said in a statement.
The governor’s office put out a statement Thursday with praise from 26 state and local officials in an effort to sell the new date.
Preakness obituary
Most analysts outside of Maryland do not believe moving the Preakness to the same day as the Indy 500 will save it.
Craig Brogden, co-owner and general manager of the breeding nursery Machmer Hall in Kentucky, predicted that the change from Saturday to Sunday will “kill the only golden goose that Maryland racing still had.”
“This is what happens when politicians make business decisions in a competitive marketplace,” Mr. Brogden wrote Wednesday in a social media post.
Horse Racing Nation posed an open question: “Where, and when, does the Preakness fit in a calendar that no longer needs it?”
The trade publication noted in a compilation of responses published Thursday that “the loudest camp” of readers saw the new Preakness date as confirmation of the event’s demise.
“Stick a fork in the ‘Triple Crown,’” wrote one reader.
Another said that Maryland’s announcement “just reeks of flipping everybody the bird.”
Others downplayed the changes. Bill Knauf, president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club, said in an email that the Preakness’s prestige will remain unchanged.
“The Triple Crown is the standard in racing and has been for over 100 years,” said Mr. Knauf, whose nonprofit operates the race for the state. “Preakness is the second jewel, and nothing will replace that.”
Bob Baffert, one of the sport’s winningest trainers, pledged to continue running horses in the Preakness each year.
He said the Triple Crown remains the real test of a champion horse. No colt has won all three races since Justify, a horse he trained, accomplished the feat in 2018.
“The Preakness is integral to racing’s history, present, and future, and I hope nothing detracts from its significance,” he wrote in a Monday social media post.
