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Preakness Stakes moved to Sunday starting in 2027

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FOX 5 DC
Sports
Published August 5, 2026 5:02 PM EDT
Published August 5, 2026 5:02 PM EDT
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(Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Maryland is pushing back the Preakness Stakes starting next year.
    • The race will now be run three weeks and one day after the Kentucky Derby.
    • The move will make the Preakness the first Triple Crown race to take place on a Sunday.

BALTIMORE - Maryland is shaking up horse racing's Triple Crown, pushing back the date of the Preakness Stakes starting in 2027.

Preakness schedule changed

What we know:

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Jockey club announced the changes on Wednesday.

Traditionally, the Preakness has been run on the third Saturday in May. Starting next year and going forward, the race will run three weeks and a day after the Kentucky Derby, moving the race to Sundays.

The 2027 race will be the first ever Triple Crown race held on a Sunday.

The backstory:

Wednesday's announcement comes just days after the State of Maryland announced it had acquired the intellectual property rights for the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

By the numbers:

Officials say the schedule change is meant to give horses that run in the Kentucky Derby more time between races with the hope that more will participate in the Preakness. 

For the last two years, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby — Sovereignty in 2025, and Golden Tempo in 2026 — did not race in the Preakness. Over the last four years, only 13 of the 95 horses that participated in the Kentucky Derby went on to race in the Preakness.

What they're saying:

The move will also mean the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes will run alone on Saturdays, which officials say will give the region a full weekend to celebrate.

"We now have a championship weekend," said Bill Knauf, CEO of the Maryland Jockey Club. "Four of the next six years, that weekend will be on Memorial Day Weekend, and from here out, Baltimore will now be the focus of that weekend in the future."

Governor Moore said the move brings the state and the Preakness "into an exciting new era."

"The continuation of our partnership and the new schedule ensures optimal and accessible coverage for everyone from horseracing experts to casual fans, as our administration makes historic investments to leverage the iconic race as a cornerstone of Maryland’s history, culture and economy," Moore said.

The Source: Information in this story is from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's office and The Associated Press.

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