All articles tagged with #preakness stakes
Randy Moss contends NYRA and possibly Fox rushed a six-race Championship Series announcement to deflect blame for the Triple Crown’s decline onto the Preakness, as Maryland shifts the Preakness timing and NBC retains TV rights, underscoring ongoing rifts over the Triple Crown calendar and broadcast deals.
Maryland officials announced that the Preakness Stakes will be moved to 22 days after the Kentucky Derby in 2027, prompting reactions from the racing community as the Triple Crown schedule is reshaped.
NBC extends its multi-year deal with the Maryland Jockey Club to broadcast the Preakness on NBC/Peacock through 2032, moves the race to Sundays three weeks after the Derby and shifts the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes to Saturdays as part of a plan to build a championship weekend in Baltimore while Maryland retains IP rights and pursues Pimlico’s future upgrades.
The 152nd Preakness Stakes will be run on Sunday, May 23, 2027, moving from the traditional third Saturday to the fourth Sunday of May. To boost Derby participation, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on May 22 will precede the Preakness weekend, with the festival concluding on race day. The Belmont Stakes will follow 13 days after the Preakness that year, and NBC Sports will continue its long-running broadcast deal through 2032 as the MJC shifts to a not-for-profit model and retools its Triple Crown strategy to grow the series.
Hall of Fame jockey Robby Albarado, who had more than 5,000 career wins (5,222 total) and earned over $221 million, died at 52 after undergoing surgery for a heart blockage. A standout at Churchill Downs, he won the Preakness Stakes twice (2007 and 2021) and claimed Breeders’ Cup titles on Curlin before retiring in 2021.
NBC Sports will continue to broadcast the Preakness Stakes after a hard-fought bidding war that included Fox, Amazon, and Netflix, with NBC having aired the race since 2001; an official announcement is expected from Maryland Governor Wes Moore. The report also notes a related six-race, 3-year-old series by Churchill Downs and NYRA that includes the Derby and Belmont but excludes the Preakness.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore asserts that there is no Triple Crown without the Preakness and pledges Maryland’s bid to keep the Preakness in Baltimore amid a new six-race series announced by Churchill Downs and NYRA that excludes Pimlico, signaling a push to own the race’s rights while remaining open to collaboration but not relinquishing control.
NBC has retained the Preakness Stakes rights for at least a year after a hard-fought bidding war with Fox, Netflix, and Amazon, keeping the second leg of the Triple Crown on NBC while Derby rights run through 2032 and Belmont rights through 2030.
The storied Triple Crown appears eclipsed by a new six-race Thoroughbred Championship Series announced by the NYRA and Churchill Downs, beginning with the Kentucky Derby and concluding with a September finale at Churchill Downs with a $5 million bonus; the Preakness is excluded, prompting trainers to shift focus to the new series and threatening to diminish the old crown’s relevance as the sport reorganizes its marquee 3-year-old calendar.
The Preakness Stakes was left out of the new six-race Thoroughbred Championship Series, which will include the other two Triple Crown races and launch in 2027 to crown an annual season-long champion in Thoroughbred racing.
A new six-race Thoroughbred Championship Series announced by Churchill Downs and NYRA would start with the Kentucky Derby and conclude at Churchill Downs, but it does not include a Pimlico stop in Baltimore, putting the Preakness Stakes' future in limbo. Maryland argues it owns the race's intellectual property after a bid matched by the state, while officials await details on how the new series will affect the traditional Triple Crown schedule.
Napoleon Solo, ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., won the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. The $2 million purse was split among the top five finishers: Napoleon Solo $1.2 million, Iron Honor $400,000, Chip Honcho $220,000, Ocelli $120,000, and Incredibolt $60,000. The article notes a traditional 80/20 split for the winning purse: owner (80%, about $960,000) and the remaining 20% shared between trainer Chad Summers ($120,000) and jockey Paco Lopez ($120,000). It also lists betting payouts for the winner’s circle: Exacta $53.60, Trifecta $597.10, and Superfecta $2,377.80 for $1 bets, along with a results tracker for updates.
Napoleon Solo overtook odds- and hometown-favorite Taj Mahal at the top of the stretch to win the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park, holding off Iron Honor and Chip Honcho; trainer Chad Brown celebrated his Preakness debut victory as there will be no Triple Crown winner this year after Golden Tempo was withdrawn, with the race run at Laurel Park amid Pimlico’s renovation and a capped crowd.
Fourteen horses compete in the 2026 Preakness at Laurel Park—the largest field in 15 years—with Iron Honor the 9-2 morning-line favorite. The Derby winner Golden Tempo is not in the race, and notable contenders include Taj Mahal (trained by Brittany Russell) and Chip Honcho. Post positions and morning-line odds are set ahead of an approximate 7:01 p.m. ET start, with top jockeys Flavien Prat, Jose Ortiz and Tyler Gaffalione aboard various contenders. The race marks a temporary relocation from Pimlico while renovations proceed.
Jeiron Barbosa rode Wickeddivine to a narrow win over Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Freeze the Fire in an undercard at Laurel Park, signaling a quiet start to Preakness Day ahead of the 151st Preakness Stakes.