Churchill Downs’ new series prompts questions about future of Triple Crown

Churchill Downs’ new series prompts questions about future of Triple Crown

Economy World


As horse racing’s Triple Crown has had trouble getting contenders in recent years, the sport has had difficulty staying in the public consciousness outside of the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs, the owners and host site of the Derby, and the New York Racing Association, which operates the Belmont Stakes, are teaming up in an effort to change that.

On Monday, the two entities announced the Thoroughbred Championship Series, a six-race competition beginning in 2027 designed as a season-long championship for 3-year-old horses. Three venues – Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course – will host the races. Churchill Downs will host the first, the Kentucky Derby in May, as well as the championship race in September.

Churchill Downs in Louisville is the most iconic venue in the sport. Belmont Park on Long Island is expected to reopen in 2027 after undergoing construction that forced the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, to take place at Saratoga each of the last three years. Saratoga Race Course is less than an hour drive north of the state capital of Albany. The NYRA operates both Belmont and Saratoga.

The press release states the Thoroughbred Championship Series is “designed to extend fan engagement beyond the Triple Crown.” However, its creation puts into question the importance and value of the Triple Crown itself.

The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, is not included in the Thoroughbred Championship Series. The Preakness has had difficulty getting Kentucky Derby-winning horses to run it in recent years. The race is only two weeks after the Derby, which has made trainers hesitant to have their horses run another big event on a short turnaround.

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The 2026 Preakness Stakes took place at Laurel Park in Maryland while Pimlico Race Course, the Baltimore venue that typically hosts the Preakness, was under construction for renovations. The 2027 Preakness will return to Pimlico, but with a limited capacity as construction continues.

Churchill Downs attempted to buy the intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for $85 million in April. However, the state of Maryland had a right of first refusal and officially matched the offer to acquire the IP on Thursday. This means Churchill Downs is not financially invested in the future of the Preakness, as was expected if they acquired the rights to the race.

While the exact dates of the Thoroughbred Championship Series have not all been finalized, it will take place across five months, which means it will be more spread out than the Triple Crown.

“This series is designed to showcase the sport’s best 3-year-olds across a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the next generation of fans,” David O’Rourke, president and chief executive officer of the NYRA, said in the release.

The series also includes a $5 million championship prize pool. The money will be awarded based on the final standings in addition to individual race purses. There is currently no bonus for winning the Triple Crown, although there has been in the past.

2027 Thoroughbred Championship Series schedule

  • May 1: Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs)
  • June 5: Belmont Stakes (Belmont Park)
  • July (date to be announced): Matt Winn Stakes (Churchill Downs)
  • Late July/early August: Jim Dandy Stakes (Saratoga Race Course)
  • Late August: Travers Stakes (Saratoga Race Course)
  • September (date TBA): Championship Race (Churchill Downs)

The races will all air on national television. NBC will air the races at Churchill Downs while Fox will air the races at Belmont and Saratoga. This mirrors existing partnerships those networks have with Churchill Downs and the NYRA.

This will not affect the 2027 Triple Crown schedule. The Derby is still the first Saturday in May, the Preakness is still two weeks after that (May 15) and the Belmont three weeks after the Preakness.

The Triple Crown schedule has come under increased debate in recent years after five of the last seven Derby winners (not including 2020 when the schedule and race order was altered), did not run in the Preakness. Justify won the Triple Crown in 2018, becoming the second horse to do so in four years after American Pharaoh won it in 2015. No horse has entered the Belmont, the final leg of the Triple Crown, with a chance to win the Triple Crown since.