Triple Crown

Although the Thoroughbred industry is still trying to come to grips with seismic schedule changes to the Triple Crown that were disclosed last week in two major announcements, members of the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) largely avoided discussion of the GI Preakness Stakes during Wednesday's monthly meeting. Aside from a perfunctory summation of Preakness-related transactions during the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) report, plus public comments from two citizens about the Preakness being moved to 22 days after the GI Kentucky Derby and the controversial partnership between Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI)...

The Week in Review For years, it was clear to most that something needed to be done to revitalize the Triple Crown. With four of the last six GI Kentucky Derby winners, including the last two, passing on the GI Preakness Stakes, the Triple Crown was starting to lose its importance. That was a major problem for the sport. The Triple Crown was the game's most historic series and resonated with the general public like nothing else. It was, quite simply, the best thing that racing had. Last week, there...

The Thoroughbred racing industry is at a decisive moment. Can we embrace innovation while preserving the people, places, and traditions that made racing what it is? Or will states and organizations pursue their own interests at the expense of the broader industry they all depend on? For Marylanders, the new Championship Series and its exclusion of the Preakness feel like a blow to the heart of a state whose own heart has never stopped beating for this sport. But it is not just the Preakness that is at stake. It...

The 2027 GI Preakness Stakes will be run 22 days after the GI Kentucky Derby, Sunday, May 23, with the GII Black Eyed Susan being held Saturday, May 22, said Maryland Governor Wes Moore in a press conference Wednesday afternoon where he extolled the virtues of the Triple Crown and the importance of the Preakness as its middle jewel. Both races will be presented on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN. NBC also announced a multi-year extension of their partnership to present the Preakness through 2032. Both races will be held in...

The Triple Crown series, which captivated racing fans and provided the sport with some of its most electric moments since the series was first swept by Sir Barton in 1919, passed away Monday. It was 107. The cause of its death was a new series of races announced by the New York Racing Association and Churchill Downs. The six-race series, called the "Thoroughbred Championship Series," will begin with the GI Kentucky Derby and conclude with a championship race at Churchill in September. Many details have yet to be released, but...

Edited Press Release In a press release shared July 31, the office of the Governor of the State of Maryland revealed that it has completed its acquisition of the Intellectual Property (IP) Rights to the Preakness Stakes and Black Eyed Susan from 1/ST Racing. Governor Wes Moore notified the racing entity June 18 that the state would be exercising its right of first refusal to match the $85-million offer made by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) to acquire the IP rights. The Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) issued notes to finance...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Last weekend, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown held its annual induction ceremony and ESPN's Joe Buck joined his father Jack Buck as the only father-son duo to receive the Ford C. Frick Award, which honors a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. During the press conference on Saturday morning for the man who has called more World Series on television than anyone, this reporter asked Buck how much his father followed Thoroughbred racing. "Oh, he loved it," said Buck. "He took me to the...

On May 7th, TDN published my Letter to the Editor arguing that the Preakness should be moved so that it is not two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, given the paucity of connections of horses that raced in the Kentucky Derby and run in the Preakness with just two weeks rest. Making matters worse, and I give myself the "Captain Obvious Award" for noticing, now that Golden Tempo (Curlin) won the Kentucky Derby, skipped the Preakness, and then won the Belmont, repeating in the steps of Sovereignty last year, skipping...

The act of calling a live horse race has got to be one of the most solitary, yet public endeavors around a track. Announcers have the power to attach their own soundtrack to a race for posterity. Whether you are Aiello, Becker, Beem, Calo, Collmus, Dinerman, Dooley, Geller, Griffin, Mirahmadi, Paquette, Rodman, Stone, Tammaro, Wrona or any of the others who dot racing's current U.S. landscape on high, track announcers are both foreign language translators and air traffic controllers. The big top demands an entertaining ringmaster and the pressure is...

In a new TDN series, we are asking industry participants what racing's biggest problem is, and what the solution to that problem is. What do you think is racing's biggest problem? I believe our number one issue is not having a national racing and stakes calendar that focuses on marketing our marquee race days and showcasing the best our sport has to offer. What is the solution? I believe the first Saturday of every month should be similar to what we just experienced with the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes....

This is the third and final piece examining the structural condition of American horse racing. Part 1 examined the collapse of race days. Part 2 examined the fragility of wagering economics. When I came into this industry 20 years ago, Thoroughbred ownership was sold as an investment. That is still how we lead our marketing: big purses and the dream of a stallion prospect selling for tens of millions. We frame the racehorse as an asset with a return. So let's assess this investment. North American purse distribution in 2025...

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced that the state of Maryland has matched the $85-million bid from Churchill Downs for the intellectual property and branding rights to the Preakness, which will now be held by the state. The story was first reported by the Baltimore Banner. Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement provided to the Banner that his administration has made "historic investments" to ensure the future of Maryland's racing industry, and that the $85-million decision will secure a "vital asset for our state." It will "preserve Maryland's position...