The Preakness Stakes is moving to three weeks and a day after the Kentucky Derby, becoming the first race in the Triple Crown's century-plus history to be run on a Sunday.
Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Jockey Club announced the change Wednesday afternoon at a news conference in Annapolis, alongside an extension of the race's broadcast deal with NBC through 2032.
Except for a pandemic-forced shift in 2020, the Preakness has run on the third Saturday in May since 1950. Starting in 2027, it moves to the fourth Sunday of the month; from 2028 through 2031, that date lines up with the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes race will move to Saturday, and NBC has plans to highlight the entire weekend in Baltimore as part of a new six-year deal.
Maryland Jockey Club CEO Bill Knauf framed the move as overdue. "Other sports constantly revaluate rules and now it is time for change. Moving the Preakness one week later is going to allow us for greater participation. That is simply the goal," Knauf said. "At three weeks, it also maintains the test of a champion.”
The timing follows a rough week for the race's standing in the sport. On Monday, Churchill Downs Incorporated and the New York Racing Association unveiled the Thoroughbred Championship Series, a new six-race, bonus-money program for 3-year-olds beginning in 2027 that runs from the Kentucky Derby straight to the Belmont Stakes — without the Preakness anywhere on the schedule.
Moore didn't let that stand unanswered. "Let's be clear: Not only is the Triple Crown going to continue, there is no Triple Crown without Preakness," he said earlier in the week. "And if you want to win the Triple Crown, we'll see you in Baltimore next year."
Today, Moore said, "Preakness can and will remain the second jewel of the Triple Crown... If you want to win the Triple Crown, we'll see you in Baltimore." He also said he's open to talks with Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association.
The date change targets a real and worsening problem. Of the 95 horses who ran in the Derby since 2022, just 13 — 13.7% — have gone on to run the Preakness, with only one winner among them. Two Derby champions in a row, and three of the last five, have skipped the Preakness entirely rather than attempt the traditional two-week turnaround.
The fix creates a new wrinkle of its own, at least for one year. With the Belmont fixed for June 5, 2027, the gap between the Preakness and Belmont shrinks from three weeks to 13 days — potentially forcing connections to choose between the two rather than attempt both - unless the Belmont moves its date to follow, which seems logical.
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, one of only two trainers to sweep the Triple Crown since 1978, posted on social media Monday that if he has the right horse out of the Derby, he'll keep bringing it to the Preakness regardless.
The NBC deal, meanwhile, is fully locked in — covering the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes through 2032, after a bidding process that reportedly drew interest from Fox, Amazon, and Netflix. NBC Sports President of Acquisitions and Partnerships Jon Miller, a son of Maryland, said the two days of coverage will comprise 10 hours.
"The idea was to create a weekend celebration," Miller said on Wednesday. "It makes for a big event."
Knauf said, “The Black-Eyed Susan moving to Saturday provides for a potential historic day. We’re incredibly excited to grow that day. We now have a championship weekend.” Maryland Million Day and Preakness Preview Day will also air on Peacock at other times of the year, Knauf said.
Moore tied the deal directly to the state's broader investment in the race, including a $500 million reconstruction of Pimlico Race Course, expected to be complete by spring 2028. The Preakness is expected to return to a still-under-renovation Pimlico in 2027, in limited capacity, following this year's one-time relocation to Laurel Park.
Moore said the horse racing is a $3 billion industry in Maryland that brings about 28,000 jobs to the state.