2 Proposed Triple Crown Changes, and the Obstacles in its Way

Three days after the Kentucky Derby, the dream of a Triple Crown is dead. Sovereignty is skipping the Preakness Stakes and preparing for the Belmont Stakes. This could be a tipping point that changes the calendar of the Triple Crown.

It’s the second time in four years a Kentucky Derby winner has skipped the trip to Pimlico. Unlike long shot Rich Strike, Sovereignty has the breeding pedigree and the racing chops to be among the immortal Triple Crown winners. The decision to bypass the Preakness, on its 150th anniversary no less, will lead to calls for change.

There have only been 13 Triple Crown winners over the last 106 years. Horse racing fans waited 37 years for American Pharoah to take home the honor at the Belmont Stakes.

During that lengthy drought, there were calls to change the Triple Crown calendar. Two winners in four years quieted those critiques, but Sovereignty’s withdrawal will bring those back to the forefront.

The Golden Age of horse racing featured great rivalries between Secretariat and Sham, Affirmed and Alydar. The stretch run at Churchill Downs between Sovereignty and Journalism looked like the beginning of a new rivalry, one the sport desperately needs, but it will not get in this year’s Triple Crown.

The Right Time for a Triple Crown Change

The decision to pull Sovereignty from the race is the cherry on top for proponents of change. History has always been the biggest argument against change. History tells us that the Triple Crown has changed quite a few times, even last year.

During COVID, the order of the Triple Crown races was altered, with the Belmont before the Derby, followed by the Preakness in the fall. There are currently millions of dollars are being spent at Belmont Park and Pimlico between 2024-26. That is why last year’s Belmont was held at Saratoga and reduced to 1 1/4 miles, a quarter-mile shorter than the traditional distance. Next year’s Preakness will be held at Laurel Park while Pimlico is under construction.

Like all athletes, horses are bigger, faster, and stronger than they were in the past. They require more rest between races. Sovereignty will not be the last, but the first in a new trend if there is not change. It’s perfectly timed with racetrack construction to shake up the order of the Triple Crown.

Two Important Notes to Remember

For all of the hand-wringing over history, you probably didn’t know the Triple Crown did not go to a five-week schedule until 1969.

It’s also important to remember that Pimlico does not host a “meet.” The Kentucky Derby kicks off two months of racing at Churchill Downs. Pimlico holds races for the week leading up to the Preakness, and that’s it. They should be much more malleable to a schedule change.

Two Triple Crown Change Proposals

Jason Frakes

The Courier Journal’s turf reporter made a simple proposition following the news: If someone just decided the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Travers Stakes were the new Triple Crown — and maybe offered up a $5 million bonus for winning it — would anyone care?

The Travers Stakes is known as the Mid-Summer Derby, held on the fourth Saturday in August. It is the most prolific race in America outside of the current Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup. Replacing the Travers with the Preakness requires the least amount of logistical changes and makes the most sense.

Mike Repole

The charismatic New York-based owner is the self-proclaimed commissioner of horse racing. Ahead of today’s news, he proposed a calendar change in a long-winded manuscript on Twitter. The short-story is the solution many have proposed.

Kentucky Derby: First Saturday in May
Belmont Stakes: First Saturday in June
Preakness Stakes: First Saturday in July

Positioning the final leg of the Triple Crown during the Fourth of July weekend would do wonders for TV viewership in an otherwise uneventful part of the U.S. sports calendar.

In addition to these Triple Crown changes, he wants to add two more Triple Crowns, one for the fillies and one for older horses, 4-years-old and up. The fact that they haven’t made the Kentucky Oaks, Black-Eyed Susan, and Acorn Stakes an official Triple Crown for fillies is a ridiculous oversight by horse racing power players. It might be a stretch for the other addition, but it would add a lot of juice to the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs, the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic

The Biggest Obstacles to Change

We learned in the era of conference realignment to always follow the money. Who made those decisions? TV executives. That will be the case for the Triple Crown.

Unfortunately, there is not one rights-holder for the Triple Crown. Fox acquired rights for the Belmont Stakes in 2022, a deal that runs through 2030. They will have to work together with NBC and the horse racing agencies in each respective state that works for all parties, which might be a tough sell.

Jason Frakes’ proposal requires the least amount of infrastructural change. In fact, most horsemen already hold the Travers Stakes in higher regard than the Preakness. The problem is that Fox owns the rights to NYRA races. NBC isn’t just going to cede a leg of the Triple Crown to Fox.

Like college football conferences, there are state-level horse racing agencies competing for a piece of the same pie, one that ins’t as large as college football. If you thought it was a challenge to get the football conference commissioners to work together, finding a compromise that benefits all parties in horse racing will be even more challenging.