The decision by Bill Mott, trainer of 2025 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, to have his horse skip the Preakness Stakes last year signaled that an “inflection point” for horse racing “is coming,” according to Dan Wolken of YAHOO SPORTS. The sport can either “break from tradition and modernize the Triple Crown series” or continue its current schedule and “face the possibility that Derby winners will more regularly skip the Preakness.” Much of the future is “likely to be tied to television contracts.” NBC broadcasts the Kentucky Derby and has had the Preakness since 2001. Fox landed the Belmont starting in 2023 with a contract that runs through 2030. Regardless of which entity the Preakness’ rights end up with, there “will have to be some measure of cooperation to change the dates,” and whoever pays for Preakness rights will want it to “have the best field possible -- one that always includes the Derby winner, barring injury.” Moving the Preakness a week later has “a knock-on effect for the New York Racing Association.” Changing the Preakness date could “potentially impact” the Belmont, and moving Belmont further into June or July has “implications for other big race days later in the year at other racetracks.” If the Triple Crown calendar moves for the first time in nearly seven decades, it “may be one of the most consequential what-ifs in the history of the sport” (YAHOO SPORTS, 4/27).
Horse racing faces inflection point around Triple Crown schedule
