Preakness Stakes to air on NBC with changes through 2032

Big changes are in store for the next Preakness Stakes, and it's not because of renovations at Pimlico Race Course. NBC Sports the Maryland Jockey Club on Wednesday announced a multiyear partnership extension that will keep the Preakness Stakes on NBC and Peacock through 2032. "Today's news is truly historic. It's historic because, for everybody here, our future is in our hands," Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday. Extension makes broadcasting history NBC Sports began airing the Preakness in 2001, and the partnership extension announced Wednesday with the Maryland Jockey Club makes NBC the longest-running home of the Preakness Stakes. NBCUniversal will become the first media company to present the middle jewel of the Triple Crown for three decades (32 editions of the Preakness Stakes from 2001-32). "This extension is a testament to the strength of the relationship between the Maryland Jockey Club and NBC Sports and underscores our commitment to horse racing," Jon Miller, NBC Sports' president of acquisitions and partnerships, said in a statement. "(The NBC team was) tremendous in this process, and it was a long process, and we're incredibly proud to call you our partners moving forward," Maryland Jockey Club President and General Manager Bill Knauf said on Wednesday. The extension includes multiplatform rights to the Preakness Stakes, Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and extensive Preakness weekend programming, which will be presented on NBC, Peacock and NBCSN. Video below: Governor's news conference in its entirety "This agreement now means millions more people will be able to tune in and watch this iconic race weekend," Moore said Wednesday. "It also means that when they view this race ... it means that more people will watch and witness the greatest show in the Mid-Atlantic and continue to see Maryland on the world stage, exactly where Maryland belongs." NBC Sports now has exclusive, long-term media agreements for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes through 2032, Breeders' Cup World Championships through 2030, and Royal Ascot through 2028. Preakness moves a week back to a Sunday With the new agreement comes changes to the horse racing schedule and new features. "We are excited to continue our relationship as the media home of the Preakness Stakes and look forward to an enhanced schedule, showcasing Maryland's best races on both Saturday and Sunday," Miller said in a statement. WHAT'S NEW | AT A GLANCE Preakness Stakes shifts back one week to three weeks after Kentucky Derby Preakness Stakes moves to Sundays on NBC/Peacock Black-Eyed Susan Stakes to be showcased on Saturdays on NBC/Peacock 2027: Black-Eyed Susan on Saturday, May 22; Preakness on Sunday, May 23 Starting in 2027, the Preakness Stakes will move one week later on the calendar to be contested on NBC and Peacock three weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The 152nd Preakness Stakes will be run at Pimlico Race Course on Sunday, May 23, eight days after the traditional third Saturday in May date. The move marks the first time the race will take place on a Sunday since it was first contested in 1873. "Moving the Preakness to the fourth weekend in May is a historic announcement. We believe the Preakness and the entire Triple Crown series are positioned for growth and great success," Knauf said in a statement. "Moving the Preakness to the fourth weekend in May is a historic announcement." Conversations about moving the Preakness aren't new. The governor said moving the date has been a conversation piece for a while. Knauf said the prospects of moving the race surfaced 10 years ago under The Stronach Group as horse-training methods were changing and for horse safety. "The Triple Crown will continue, and it will continue to be Preakness by moving the date and providing additional time and space for our horses to be able to compete and to be a part of that Triple Crown," Moore said Wednesday. Officials: Moving race to Sunday allows for larger celebration To enhance the weeklong festivities in Baltimore, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes card, typically held on Friday, Preakness Eve, will be moved to Saturday, May 22. "We believe that moving the Preakness to the fourth Sunday in May and showcasing the excellent Black-Eyed Susan Stakes card on Saturday will transform the weekend for horsemen, bettors and racing fans alike," Knauf said in a statement. With the move, the Black-Eyed Susan will receive additional weekend exposure on NBC and Peacock. "We are going to build a championship weekend in Baltimore." "The idea of doing it Saturday-Sunday, quite honestly, was to create a weekend celebration and not just have it be a one-day event in the middle of a Triple Crown series," Miller said Wednesday. "That, to us, makes for a big event, and we see how that happens with other big events that we do, whether it's the derby in Louisville or whether it's the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, how the city really gets behind these big events, and that was our intention and our goal here." "We are going to build a championship weekend in Baltimore, with the Black-Eyed Susan now on Saturday. In most years, this new date falls on Memorial Day weekend, and we believe this creates tremendous excitement for our local economy and businesses," Knauf said in a statement. "Baltimore will become the place to be on Memorial Day weekends, as the spotlight of the racing world descends on Pimlico." Officials: Moving the Preakness aligns with training time between races In recent years, some horse trainers and owners expressed reluctance to run their horses in the Preakness because they wanted to give their horses more time to rest between the Derby and the Belmont. Golden Tempo became the latest horse to win the Kentucky Derby but skip the Preakness in favor of running in the Belmont. Three of the past five Derby winners have skipped Pimlico. Of the 95 horses that ran in the Derby dating back to 2022, just 13 have gone on to race Preakness. Officials said moving the date of future Preakness Stakes will help resolve those concerns and make the Preakness an even bigger part of the Triple Crown. "It's going to allow us for greater participation, and that is simply the goal," Knauf said on Wednesday. "It also maintains the test of a champion; it's going to take a lot to do it ... We now have a championship weekend." "It's going to allow us for greater participation, and that is simply the goal." "It enables the horses to recover. It enables us to take better advantage of the horses at the Derby to be able to come here. It also gives NBC an extra week of promotion. NBC has a very strong lineup of programming during that time of the year. In addition to having the Kentucky Derby, we also have the NBA playoffs," Miller said. "We really feel that all these things added together give us the advantage to make the second leg of the Triple Crown as big and as prominent as ever. We are thrilled to celebrate the history of Baltimore and the state of Maryland." The Maryland Jockey Club, the oldest sports association in the country having been founded in 1743, was advised on the deal by Sports Media Advisors. "We acknowledge the great history of the traditional Triple Crown spacing between races but recognize that change must always be examined. This is common in all professional sports. Now is the time for the Preakness," Knauf said in a statement. Future of the Preakness Before the broadcast extension was announced, the future of the Preakness had come into question on Monday, when Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association announced a new six-race thoroughbred series set to begin in 2027 that excludes the historic Baltimore race. "The majority of that series races are in the summer and fall," Knauff said Wednesday. Asked whether the new championship series was intended to replace the Triple Crown, NYRA President David O'Rourke told The Paulick Report, a horse racing news website: "This is in no way at all touching the Triple Crown. This builds on top of the Triple Crown or alongside it. We don't change anything with that. I still see the Triple Crown as one of the biggest, rarest things in sports." Maryland the governor said the Preakness will survive despite the new championship series announcement. | VIDEO BELOW: Moore: There is no Triple Crown without the Preakness in Baltimore "If you want to win the Triple Crown, we'll see you in Baltimore," Moore said on Wednesday. "Preakness can and will remain the second jewel of the Triple Crown and nothing will change that." The governor also highlighted Maryland's recent $85 million bid to secure the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes. "You cannot control your future if you do not own it. You do not control what the future brings if you aren't the ones making the decisions about what the future brings," Moore said Wednesday. "Maryland now owns the rights. Marylanders now own the assets. Marylanders will make the decisions." The state's move came after Churchill Downs' attempt to purchase the intellectual property of the Preakness. "I did not take it as any form of retaliation, but what I did take from it was that it actually validated why we made the decision that we did to hold onto our (intellectual property) and hold onto our own destiny," Moore said Wednesday. "More than 28,000 Maryland jobs depend on this industry. The horse racing industry generates about $3 billion to the state of Maryland, and considering all these things, it's important that Marylanders are the ones who are making the decisions about its future." Maryland poised to preserve horse racing industry In recent years, Maryland has made significant investments to preserve horse racing. "This guarantees that the Preakness will call Baltimore home for decades to come," Moore said Wednesday. State and horse industry officials believe rebuilding Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and turning Laurel Park into a year-round training facility is the key to saving horse racing in Maryland. | VIDEO BELOW: Horse racing expert's opinion on unclear future of Preakness Demolition at Pimlico started in July 2025, and crews have bulldozed historic pieces of the racetrack as Maryland officials look ahead to its future. The Maryland Jockey Club anticipates providing an update on construction later this week. "Gov. Moore and the state of Maryland have committed significant resources to racing's future, including a rebuilt Pimlico on the horizon, a state-of-the-art training center at Laurel Park, the acquisition of the Preakness Stakes intellectual property, and a fresh path forward for Maryland's iconic racing event," Knauf said in a statement. "We are making key investments in the area and the neighborhoods, as well, because we know what kind of societal and financial return that we are going to see with that investment," Moore said Wednesday. "The goal was not just to create winners on the track; the goal was to make sure we are creating winners off the track, too." "Preakness is not just about a race. It is about preserving a history. It is about uplifting community. It is about embracing our culture," First Lady Dawn Moore said Wednesday. "Together, we can write a new chapter, a chapter where all Maryland families share in the opportunity they helped create." | VIDEO BELOW: Baltimoreans call Churchill Downs announcement 'devastating' Inaugurated in 1873, the Preakness is recognized as one of America's great sporting events and also an iconic cultural tradition in Maryland and among racing fans worldwide. "Bringing the Derby winner to the Preakness is unlike anything else in racing," said trainer Graham Motion. "I was lucky enough to experience it with Animal Kingdom. The energy is incredible, and it feels like the whole crowd is behind you. It’s a moment every trainer dreams of." In a Monday post on X, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said: "The greatest achievement in racing will always be winning the Triple Crown — The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. The Triple Crown has sustained our sport for more than 150 years, and it will continue to do so for another 150 years or more if we appreciate and care for it. The Preakness is integral to racing's history, present and future, and I hope nothing detracts from its significance." How Baltimore is reacting The Preakness moving to the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend means it would conflict with the city's Artscape festival in four out of the next six years. Still, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told WBAL-TV 11 News that he feels this is the right move for the state. Video below: Moving Preakness date good for the state, mayor tells WBAL-TV 11 News "Next year, (the new Preakness date) doesn't impact (Artscape), and we'll deal with that in the future," Scott told WBAL-TV 11 News. "But this is a big city. A big city has big events. And, we have to work to that. We're going to have Orioles and Ravens games on the same day in the same vicinity just in this next month, this is about showcasing Baltimore as a sports entertainment destination." The mayor said the change on the calendar gives the Preakness the best chance to attract the biggest trainers and horses in the sport. Scott said he's also encouraged by the deal with NBC to carry the Preakness broadcast. Having grown up in Park Heights, the mayor said he's excited about the growth potential this brings to that community once the track renovations are complete. "It opens new opportunities for tourism, hospitality, partnership and investment." Asked about the relevance of the Preakness to horse racing, Scott told WBAL-TV 11 News that moving the Preakness back should help and that the deal with NBC will keep the race in the national spotlight. The Baltimore business community supports the changes, the state's purchase of the intellectual property rights and multimillion-dollar investment in Pimlico. "It opens new opportunities for tourism, hospitality, partnership and investment," said Mark Anthony Thompson, CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. GOP questions whether trainers will come to Baltimore under new arrangement Maryland Republicans reacted to Wednesday's announcement, saying what Maryland has done — securing a new date and a television deal on its own — stands apart from what Churchill Downs and NYRA announced in a coordinated series. Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, R-District 36, questioned whether Maryland has any voice in decision-making when it comes to the sport's future. Hershey released a statement after the governor's announcement, saying the new structure leaves horse trainers with little reason to make the trip to Baltimore. Hershey's statement follows in its entirety. "Today's announcement raises more questions than it answers. If the governor made this decision without coordinating with Churchill Downs and NYRA, Maryland is now operating on one schedule while the rest of elite 3-year-old racing is operating on another. "Maryland is now operating on one schedule while the rest of ... racing is operating on another." "The governor stated Maryland controls its own destiny. Maryland controls the Preakness. It doesn't control Churchill Downs. It doesn't control NYRA. And it doesn't control where the nation's best horses choose to run. "The governor has announced a new date. Churchill Downs and NYRA have announced a new future. Those two announcements don't appear to be connected. "The Thoroughbred Championship Series (announced by Churchill Downs and NYRA) is designed around horses progressing from the Kentucky Derby to the Belmont Stakes and then through the rest of the championship season. If trainers are pursuing points in the Thoroughbred Championship Series, what incentive do they, other than the Derby winner, have to interrupt a five-week preparation for the Belmont Stakes by running in the Preakness two weeks earlier?"