The second leg of the Triple Crown thinks moving to Memorial Day weekend can draw a better field


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The Preakness Stakes is moving from its traditional date of the third Saturday in May. The race will instead be held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 2027. It will be the first time any Triple Crown race has ever been run on a Sunday.

The change was announced on Wednesday by Maryland governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Jockey Club, as they hope to bring a top field back to the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. The schedule change is in response to the recent increase in trainers opting not to run their horses in the Preakness just two weeks after the Kentucky Derby -- in 2026 there were no horses in the Preakness field that also ran in the Derby.

"We believe the Preakness and the entire Triple Crown series are positioned for growth and great success," Maryland Jockey Club CEO Bill Knauf said, via the AP. "This extra week between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness opens the Preakness to potential participants who use modern training methods."

Since 2022, just 13 out of 95 horses that have run in the Kentucky Derby have been in the field at the Preakness. It's little coincidence that the scheduling shift comes along with a new TV rights extension with NBC to broadcast the Preakness through 2032. The lack of Derby horses in the Preakness field has dampened enthusiasm for the event, as the chase for the Triple Crown remains the biggest draw for casual fans.

However, at least in 2027, there will be a new conflict between the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, which will take place just 13 days after the Preakness. That means trainers will still likely be picking between the Preakness and the Belmont, but given there were no Derby runners in last year's Preakness, the pressure falls on the Belmont Stakes to either adjust or risk having their field diluted.

The 2027 Preakness Stakes will return to a partially-open Pimlico Race Course after being run at Laurel Park in 2026 amid renovations at the historic track. The $500 million renovation is expected to be completed in full ahead of the 2028 Preakness.

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