After Preakness snub, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to make major horse racing announcement
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is set to make a major horse racing announcement Wednesday afternoon in Annapolis after the Preakness Stakes was left out of a new six-race championship series.
The $5 million Thoroughbred Championship Series, announced by Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association (NYRA), includes the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes but does not include the Preakness.
Moore and the Maryland Jockey Club are expected to address the new series and announce the date of the 2027 Preakness Stakes. The race is expected to return to Baltimore's Historic Pimlico Race Course after being held at Laurel Park last May while Pimlico underwent redevelopment.
It has been debated that the Preakness could move from two weeks to three weeks after the Kentucky Derby in an effort to attract more horses that compete in the first leg of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby winner has skipped the Preakness in three of the past five years.
The Kentucky Derby will be run on May 1, 2027, while the Belmont Stakes will remain on June 5, 2027, as part of the Thoroughbred Championship Series, which will be contested from the spring through early fall.
Concern over Maryland's horse racing future
Maryland leaders are questioning horse racing's future in the state following the announcement of the new six-race Thoroughbred Championship Series between Churchill Downs Incorporated and the New York Racing Association.
The race organizers say the competition will create an annual championship for America's leading 3-year-old thoroughbreds.
The championship series also includes the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville in July 2027, followed by the Jim Dandy Stakes and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course later that summer. The series will conclude with a championship race at Churchill Downs in September, ahead of the Breeders' Cup, which is scheduled to be held at Belmont Park on Long Island in the fall of 2027.
Some Maryland lawmakers worry the new championship series could reduce attendance at the Preakness Stakes and have a financial impact on the race and the state.
"I think it certainly puts it in danger when you have two of the three Triple Crown entities working together on a separate series that the Preakness is not involved in," Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey told CBS News Baltimore.
The changes are also raising concerns in Park Heights, where the Preakness has long been an economic driver for the surrounding community. Park Heights Renaissance said its board is assessing what the new championship series could mean for the neighborhood.
"Neighborhoods are strongest when those who call them home are at the center of every decision," the nonprofit said in a statement. "Grounded in lived experiences and deep roots in Park Heights, we will continue working alongside our partners to ensure sustained investment, expanded opportunity, and collective impact. Together, we will build a stronger, more vibrant Park Heights where everyone has the opportunity to thrive."
Maryland acquired rights to Preakness Stakes
Last week, Maryland finalized an $85 million deal to acquire the rights to the Preakness Stakes.
Gov. Wes Moore's office said the purchase was financed through a tax-exempt revenue bond, not taxpayer dollars. Still, Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said he worries taxpayers could ultimately be on the hook if the Preakness loses prestige or fails to generate the revenue needed to support the bond.
"I'd be very concerned if I were the bondholders and might want to say, 'Well, wait a minute, with this new announcement, does the Preakness still have the same status as when these bonds were issued?'" Hershey said. "I think lawmakers are saying right now, 'Hey, we could end up being responsible for the amount of money that we put into several different things.'"
Pimlico undergoing major redevelopment
The Preakness Stakes is expected to return to Pimlico Race Course in 2027 after a one-year stay at Laurel Park, where the race was held during Pimlico's redevelopment.
Pimlico is undergoing a $400 million transformation after Maryland took control of the track in 2024. The project is expected to be completed in time for the 152nd Preakness Stakes in May 2027.
The redevelopment is designed to make Pimlico the permanent home of Maryland thoroughbred racing and allow the facility to host more than 100 live racing days each year.
In addition to creating a world-class racing venue, the project includes plans for a hotel, event space and other amenities.
Aside from making Pimlico a world-class race track, there will be a hotel, event space, and other amenities.
