Preakness Stakes to be held on a Sunday in Triple Crown first - ESPN

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.

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 Kentucky 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