The Preakness Stakes will move to a new position in the racing calendar in 2027, bringing one of the biggest changes to the American Triple Crown schedule in many years.
The race will take place on Sunday, May 23, 2027, which is eight days later than its usual date on the third Saturday in May.
That will create a 22-day gap between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, replacing the traditional two-week break between the opening two races of the Triple Crown.
Officials hope the longer wait will persuade more Kentucky Derby runners to take part in the Preakness, particularly the Derby winner.
However, the move also creates a new issue. The Belmont Stakes is due to take place on Saturday, June 5, leaving just 13 days between the final two Triple Crown races.
The date change could strengthen the Preakness field, but it may also change how trainers plan the full three-race series.
When Will the 2027 Preakness Stakes Take Place?
The 152nd Preakness Stakes will be held on Sunday, May 23, 2027.
The confirmed Triple Crown schedule is:
- Kentucky Derby: Saturday, May 1
- Preakness Stakes: Sunday, May 23
- Belmont Stakes: Saturday, June 5
The full period from the Kentucky Derby to the Belmont Stakes remains five weeks.
What has changed is how that time is split.
Under the traditional format, horses had 14 days between the Derby and Preakness, followed by 21 days before the Belmont.
Under the 2027 schedule, they will have 22 days after the Derby but only 13 days after the Preakness.
The move gives trainers more time at the start of the series, but far less time before the final race.
Why Is the Preakness Moving to a Later Date?
The decision reflects the way many leading racehorses are trained in modern American racing.
Top-class horses now tend to race less often than they did in the past. It is common for major contenders to have several weeks between important starts, especially when preparing for races over longer distances.
The Kentucky Derby is also a demanding contest.
Horses must deal with a large field, a crowded opening section and the pressure of one of the biggest race days in the United States. Even runners that appear to come out of the race in good condition can need time to recover.
A two-week turnaround can therefore be difficult.
Some trainers have decided that asking a young horse to return so quickly is not worth the risk. Instead, they have missed the Preakness and waited for the Belmont Stakes, giving their runners five weeks between races.
That may be a sensible decision for an individual horse, but it creates a problem for the Preakness.
The race is at its strongest when the Kentucky Derby winner arrives with a chance of taking the first two legs of the Triple Crown.
When the Derby winner stays away, the wider Triple Crown story is weakened before the second race even begins.
The Importance of Attracting the Derby Winner
Few things create greater interest in the Preakness than the presence of the Kentucky Derby winner.
A Derby winner heading to Baltimore gives racing fans a simple and exciting question. Can the horse win again and move within one victory of the Triple Crown?
That storyline reaches far beyond regular racing followers. It attracts casual sports fans who may only watch the biggest events of the year.
The crowd has a clear horse to follow, while television and newspaper coverage builds around the Triple Crown attempt.
Without the Derby winner, the Preakness can still be a top-class race. It may include horses that were unlucky at Churchill Downs, improving runners or fresh contenders that missed the Derby.
Even so, the race loses some of its wider appeal when there is no chance of a Triple Crown winner.
The new 22-day gap is designed to remove one of the main reasons trainers have given for skipping Baltimore.
An extra eight days allows more time for rest, medical checks and a return to normal exercise. It also gives connections longer to make a final decision.
Will the New Schedule Improve the Preakness Field?
The change should make the race more attractive to horses coming out of the Kentucky Derby.
A break of just over three weeks is much closer to the spacing trainers often prefer between major races.
That could encourage not only the Derby winner to run, but also horses that finished behind it.
Runners that met trouble in the Derby, raced wide or failed to get a clear run may now be more likely to return in the Preakness.
This could produce a deeper field and create a stronger link between the first two Triple Crown races.
However, it is unlikely that every leading Derby runner will take part.
Some horses may still need more time. Others may not be suited by the Preakness distance or may have different targets later in the summer.
The date change cannot guarantee a strong field, but it gives officials a better chance of attracting one.
A Harder Turnaround Before the Belmont
While the Derby-to-Preakness break becomes easier, the Preakness-to-Belmont gap becomes much tighter.
A horse that wins the first two legs will have only 13 days before the Belmont Stakes.
That is one day less than the old two-week gap between the Derby and Preakness.
The final race of the Triple Crown has also traditionally been the longest and most demanding of the three.
As a result, a horse trying to complete the sweep may face its hardest test at the end of the series.
Trainers will need to judge whether their runner has recovered quickly enough after the Preakness.
That decision may be especially difficult if the horse had a hard race in Baltimore.
The new schedule may therefore attract more Derby horses to the Preakness while causing some Preakness runners to miss the Belmont.
Does the Change Make Winning the Triple Crown Easier?
The answer is mixed.
The first stage becomes easier because horses have more time after the Kentucky Derby.
The final stage becomes harder because there is less time before the Belmont.
The overall five-week period remains the same, so the Triple Crown still requires three major performances in a short space of time.
A Derby winner may now have a better chance of arriving at the Preakness in strong condition.
However, should it win again, the horse must recover very quickly before the Belmont.
The test has not been reduced. It has simply changed.
Instead of placing the greatest pressure between the first two races, the new format puts it between the second and third.
Why Will the Preakness Be Held on Sunday?
The race will also move from Saturday to Sunday.
That is another major change for an event long linked with the third Saturday in May.
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes card will move from Friday to Saturday, creating a two-day meeting that ends with the Preakness on Sunday afternoon.
The revised format gives the Preakness its own clear place at the end of the weekend.
It also marks the first time the race has been scheduled for a Sunday.
The change may take time for fans to get used to, but officials believe a different approach is needed to support the race in the years ahead.
What Will Decide Whether the Move Works?
The success of the new date will be judged mainly by the horses that take part.
If the Kentucky Derby winner travels to the Preakness, the decision will quickly appear worthwhile.
A strong number of Derby runners would also suggest that trainers see the 22-day gap as a better fit.
The next test will come after the Preakness.
Officials will watch closely to see whether leading runners continue to the Belmont or whether the 13-day gap proves too short.
The change may solve one problem while creating another.
Even so, the decision shows that the people behind the Preakness are willing to adjust a long-standing schedule in an attempt to keep the race important.
The 2027 season will provide the first evidence of whether the new format can bring the leading Derby horses back to Baltimore without weakening the final leg of the Triple Crown.
