Preakness Stakes moves to Sunday and secures NBC broadcast through 2032

Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Jockey Club announced that the Preakness Stakes will be run on a Sunday, three weeks and one day after the Kentucky Derby, beginning with the 2027 edition. The shift creates a longer gap between the Derby and the Preakness and aims to encourage more Derby winners to contest the second leg of the Triple Crown. The change places the race on Memorial Day weekend and will continue through 2031.

The move coincides with an extension of the media‑rights agreement with NBC Sports, which will keep the Preakness on NBC (and its streaming service Peacock) through 2032. NBC retained the rights after competing bids from Fox, Netflix and Amazon. The extended deal gives NBC broadcast control of the first two Triple Crown races for the next decade.

Separately, Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing Association announced a six‑race “Thoroughbred Championship Series” that will run from May to September but does not include the Preakness, highlighting the race’s distinct positioning within the sport’s calendar.