Preakness Shifts to Sunday in 2027 to Lure Derby Horses, Creating 13-Day Belmont Gap
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Aug 5
Preakness Shifts to Sunday in 2027 to Lure Derby Horses, Creating 13-Day Belmont Gap
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Aug 5
Summary
Memorial Day weekend in 2027 will host the Preakness on Sunday instead of its usual third Saturday in May — the first Sunday race in Triple Crown history.
Two extra weeks after the Kentucky Derby drove the change after trainers increasingly skipped the Preakness; in 2026, none of its runners came from the Derby, and since 2022 only 13 of 95 Derby horses returned.
NBC also extended Preakness broadcast rights through 2032, while organizers pitch the new timing and a Saturday Black-Eyed Susan as a stronger championship weekend.
The shift creates a new squeeze on the Belmont Stakes, which is set for just 13 days later in 2027, leaving trainers likely to choose between the final two legs.
Pimlico will stage the 2027 race in a partially reopened facility after the 2026 move to Laurel Park, with a $500 million renovation due for full completion before 2028.