Preakness date for next year to be revealed, setting the 2027 Triple Crown schedule
The Preakness could be getting a new spot on the calendar following years of speculation about the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown moving further away from the Kentucky Derby. A staple on…
The date for the 152nd running of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, is set to be announced by Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Jockey Club on Wednesday. Traditionally held on the third Saturday in May, the race has been on this date for nearly 75 years, with only one exception in 2020 due to the pandemic.
However, recent years have seen calls to change the spacing between the Triple Crown races, as some owners and trainers opt to skip the Preakness due to the short two-week turnaround that is not ideal for modern 3-year-old thoroughbreds. Golden Tempo, who won the Kentucky Derby in consecutive years, did not participate in the Preakness, leading to only three horses running in both events.
The Belmont Stakes, scheduled for the first Saturday in June, could exacerbate the condensed schedule issues for another Triple Crown season. For the 2027 Triple Crown season, the race is set to return to its original location at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, after a one-time stop at Laurel Park. The new 3-year-old championship series, announced on Monday, includes the Derby, the Belmont, and additional races into the summer and possibly early fall. Full reconstruction of Pimlico is expected to be completed by spring 2028.
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