MJC Has No Interest in More Movement for Preakness

Though the Maryland Jockey Club has moved the Preakness Stakes (G1) back one week, that's the only change on the immediate horizon.

While New York Racing Association CEO and president Dave O'Rourke told BloodHorse in a Sept. 5 interview that he would be open to the Belmont Stakes (G1) retaining its date and becoming the second jewel in the Triple Crown, the head of the MJC has no interest in the Preakness moving to a spot in July to make the series a monthly event and conform with current training philosophies.

"That's not of interest to us," MJC president and general manager Bill Knauf said when asked if there was interest in switching spots with NYRA in the Triple Crown batting order. "Not right now. It was a long process working with the media rights companies, and this is probably going back eight months or so. We came up with the idea of being open to anything and we quickly gravitated to a feeling that moving the Preakness a week was the right amount of time. We felt that would maintain the difficulty of the Triple Crown while giving an extra week because of what is expected in training horses these days."

The Triple Crown sustained its first non-pandemic change in 57 years in August after a second straight year in which the winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) skipped the two-week wait for the Preakness to run five weeks later in the Belmont Stakes.

That led to an eventful 48-hour period which started Aug. 3 when NYRA and Churchill Downs Inc. jointly announced a six-race series with $5 million in bonus payments for participating 3-year-olds—all at NYRA or CDI tracks—that included the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes but not the Preakness. 

Two days later, the MJC announced a new television deal for the Preakness and George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) with NBC that included the Preakness moving to three weeks after the Kentucky Derby, shifting to Sunday, May 23, in 2027 at under-construction Pimlico Race Course and slotting the Black-Eyed Susan for Saturday, May 22.

"Whether it was NBC or FOX or anyone else we spoke with about the media rights, we made it crystal clear that we were focused on moving the race by a week. We feel this is the best opportunity for the Preakness to thrive and grow. We put it on a Sunday so we could move Black-Eyed Susan Day to a Saturday because of the national television coverage we have for that day through NBC. That was and still is our thought process," Knauf said.

Knauf said that all in all, with the change and NYRA maintaining its June 5, 2027, date at the new Belmont Park, the Triple Crown is still a five-week series.

"Besides the one day, the total time is the same. It is essentially the same time frame. It is different though, I don't think any of us can predict how it's going to go," he said. "I can't speak for New York, but everyone has to do what they feel is best for their spot in the Triple Crown and this was ours."

While the total spacing remains the same, the new dates create a sticky situation in regards to sustaining a Triple Crown bid. If a 3-year-old does win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, in an era when three weeks between races has been eschewed by some connections, will owners and trainers be willing to run their horse 1 1/2 miles on 13 days' rest while unable to use medications with a 14-day withdrawal period against top rivals from the Run for the Roses, who have five weeks' rest and are fully medicated?

That seems highly unlikely given the current trends in spacing between races.

As for why NYRA is resistant to move the date of the Belmont, O'Rourke said in the Sept. 5 interview he was concerned with a harmful impact on NYRA's stakes schedule that would be caused by moving not just the Belmont but the multiple grade 1 stakes contested during that week.

"In terms of the Triple Crown, moving the Belmont Stakes starts to impact the rest of our season, specifically Saratoga. So, it was not our intention to change the dates," he said. "There's nine grade 1 stakes Belmont Stakes week and it's a pivot point for the racing season. Messing with that has a cascade effect on pretty much everything we do. As much as we are focused on the Belmont, we are also focused on how we maintain the stature of our entire racing program."

In the same interview, O'Rourke said he would have preferred If the Preakness retained its previous spot on the calendar.

"It's Maryland's race and they can do as they choose, but by moving it definitely makes it more difficult for a horse to come back in 13 days and run in the Belmont. I think it's still possible for a Triple Crown sweep. I've had a conversation or two with (the MJC) since they moved the date. But it would have been our preference if they stayed where they were," O'Rourke said. "Right now, our focus is on building the 3-year-old series and to continue the conversation with the Maryland people, but (their date) is a question for them. Sitting where they are is not ideal."

With the new 3-year-old series and its bonus money, it remains to be seen if that will entice Kentucky Derby winners to continue targeting the Belmont over the Preakness.

Knauf said the MJC was not involved in the creation of the series and he could not comment properly until all of the details are announced in the coming weeks.

"We didn't know about the series, so we can't comment on it," he said. "We'll find out as it develops and more details come out and we'll see how we all integrate in the future. We'll see how the series affects the dynamics of other grade 1 races."

Looking ahead, Knauf said much will be learned from the response to the new dates for 2027.

"I guess we'll all learn as this develops," he said. "We're going to move forward and do the best we can in terms of promotion to keep and retain the Preakness as part of the Triple Crown. That's our focus. We found in recent years that horses did not want to come back on two weeks' rest and that became more of a norm the last two years. But we've had horses win the Triple Crown (as recent as 2015 and 2018). Part of what makes our game great is that we'll learn year-to-year who wants to take it on."