The Preakness Stakes was left out of the new Thoroughbred Championship Series, a six-race competition that includes the other two races in thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown and will start in 2027.
The series from Churchill Downs Incorporated and The New York Racing Association Inc. will establish an annual season-long championship for thoroughbred horse racing. Some of the country’s most iconic racing venues — including Triple Crown sites Churchill Downs and Belmont Park — will host races, according to a Monday news release.
But following news that Maryland acquired the intellectual property rights to Preakness by matching Churchill Downs’ $85 million offer, the Pimlico-based course didn’t make the list.
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A spokesman for the Maryland Jockey Club said the organization would not have a comment for a few days. Requests for comment from Aidan Butler, chief executive officer of 1/ST LLC, the racing arm of The Stronach Group, which ran the Preakness in partnership with the Maryland Jockey Club, went unanswered.
Gov. Wes Moore’s office did not return a request for comment.
The Preakness’ omission from the newly-created series raised the ire of a state Republican leader who laid the blame at the governor’s feet.
“It’s unfortunate for Maryland that ideology got in the way of a practical solution,” Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said in a Monday statement. “There was a private-sector path that would have kept the Preakness in Maryland while allowing experienced racing organizations to continue investing in and promoting the sport. Instead, the Governor chose government ownership, leaving taxpayers with the financial responsibility while others continue shaping the future of Thoroughbred racing.”
When the state announced its intention on June 18 to exercise its right of first refusal to acquire the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes and the Black-Eyed Susan, Moore said the move, “secures a vital asset for our state, allows Maryland to shape its horseracing destiny, and by leveraging the Preakness’s iconic status and partnering with industry experts to enhance the fan experience, preserve Maryland’s position as a key power player in the Triple Crown for generations to come.”
Hershey questioned that stance in light of Monday’s announcement of the Thoroughbred Championship Series.
“For months, the Governor claimed he had ‘saved the Preakness,’” he said. “But this announcement makes clear that owning the trademark isn’t the same as owning the future of the sport. I warned that Maryland wasn’t buying certainty; we were buying risk. The Governor chose to own the liability rather than secure a long-term partnership with the industry’s most influential organizations. Today, Churchill Downs and NYRA have shown exactly where they believe the future of Thoroughbred racing lies, and Maryland was on the outside looking in.”
According to a news release, the Thoroughbred Championship Series is expected to include:
- Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Racetrack on May 1
- Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5
- Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs Racetrack in July (exact date TBD)
- Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in late July/early August (exact date TBD)
- Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in late August (exact date TBD)
- Championship Race at Churchill Downs Racetrack in September (exact date TBD)
The Churchill Downs races will be broadcast on NBC, and the New York races on FOX.
At a Monday afternoon news conference, officials from Churchill Downs and The New York Racing Association framed the series as a modernization of the sport, channeling the energy of the Triple Crown but offering months of storylines and a guaranteed champion.
Bill Carstanjen, chief executive officer of Churchill Downs Incorporated, claimed the series’ creation “is about the future of our sport.”
“Today’s fans experience sports differently than they did even a decade ago,” he said. “They want stories that unfold over time. They want rivalries and standings and meaningful competition that builds from one event to the next. They want a championship they can follow throughout an entire season, and they want to see a champion crowned each year to celebrate. That’s exactly what Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association have set out to create.”
David O’Rourke, president and chief executive officer of the New York Racing Association, said the Triple Crown demonstrates its grip on the public’s imagination, but is short-lived once the last race ends.
“Our aim is to carry that energy across the full season and give the fans a reason to stay with the sport’s best 3-year-olds from May into the fall,” he said. “We also believe a stronger, more connected 3-year-old season is good for everyone in the sport – for the horses, for the horsemen, and for the fans to follow them.”
After their opening statements, Carstanjen and O’Rourke took just one question from a media member, ignoring a prompt from the Baltimore Sun to ask a question. The conference call ended after about 10 minutes.
More than two hours after the call, Breck Thomas-Ross, senior director of communications for Churchill Downs Incorporated, replied to a follow-up email inquiring why the Baltimore Sun’s request to ask a question was not honored. “We apologize for the confusion around the Q&A format and that you didn’t have the opportunity to ask it during the event,” he wrote.
Thomas-Ross then added a statement regarding the Preakness’ absence.
“The inaugural Thoroughbred Championship Series was developed by CDI and NYRA around a shared vision for a season-long championship and a group of races that provided the right foundation to launch in 2027,” he wrote. “We felt it was important to move forward and establish that foundation with the six races announced today. This is the first season of what we expect will be a long-term championship, not the last. As the series evolves, we are open to conversations with additional races and organizations that share our vision and would strengthen both the championship and the sport.”
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