Is the Triple Crown dead?
While not technically, with the announcement Monday morning of the formation of the “Thoroughbred Championship Series,” it sure is taking a step in that direction.
The new six-race competition will begin in 2027 and establish an annual season-long championship for America’s leading three-year-old Thoroughbreds.
Three of the country’s most iconic racing venues – Churchill Downs Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course – will host the six-race series beginning the first Saturday in May.
The Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes are two of the races, but the Preakness is not. Already suffering from a lack of excitement, with even Derby winners skipping the race recently, this is going to possibly be the final nail in the Preakness coffin.
Given how the Preakness has been conceived recently, this move could be a boost to racing.
“The Thoroughbred Championship Series will extend the excitement of the sport across a five-month season,” said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI. “The Kentucky Derby introduces millions of fans to a new generation of Thoroughbred stars each year, and this series gives those fans a reason to stay engaged with the sport’s biggest stars throughout the season. By connecting these premier events through one championship, we’re creating a season-long storyline that benefits the future of Thoroughbred racing.”
The inaugural 2027 Thoroughbred Championship Series is expected to include:
- Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs Racetrack on May 1
- Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets at Belmont Park on June 5
- Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs Racetrack in July (exact date TBD)
- Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in late July/early August (exact date TBD)
- Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in late August (exact date TBD)
- Championship Race at Churchill Downs Racetrack in September (exact date TBD)
A unified points system is designed to encourage the nation’s leading three-year-olds to compete against one another more frequently.
In addition to individual race purses, a $5 million prize pool will be awarded based on the final standings, which will also provide owners and trainers with meaningful financial incentives to remain active throughout the championship series.
The declining incentives to run back two weeks after the Derby is the Preakness is going to further decrease, thus all buy destroying the race.
Other 3-year-old races such as the Haskell and the Pennsylvania Derby figure to also suffer as the top flight horses will be opting for the “Series” races.
By Dennis Miller
Four Grade I races, highlighted by the Grade I Whitney, take place at Saratoga on Saturday.