Triple Crown races undergo historic institutional restructuring across venues
Triple Crown races relocate venues, Churchill Downs gains Preakness ownership, and scheduling changes are under consideration.
Event / Sports
2025 Kentucky Derby Triple Crown
Golden Tempo, trained by Cherie DeVaux (first woman to train a Derby winner), wins the 2025 Kentucky Derby and will skip the Preakness Stakes to rest before the Belmont Stakes. This continues a trend of Derby winners bypassing the Preakness due to the demanding two-week spacing between races, with no realistic Triple Crown opportunity achieved six times in the past eight years. The Triple Crown itself is undergoing major transformations including Churchill Downs' acquisition of Preakness intellectual property rights and temporary venue relocations during reconstruction.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 7 May, 17:37 UTC
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What happened
No Derby winner from 2025 competing in Preakness Stakes
None of the 18 horses that competed in the 2025 Kentucky Derby are entered in the Preakness Stakes, with Golden Tempo being the only Derby runner initially considered for the second leg of the Triple Crown before being withdrawn.
Preakness Stakes relocated to Laurel Park due to Pimlico reconstruction
The 2025 Preakness Stakes is being held at Laurel Park between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., instead of its longtime home at Pimlico Race Course, which is undergoing a massive reconstruction project. Pimlico is set to reopen for year-round racing beginning next year.
Belmont Stakes held at Saratoga for third and final year
The Belmont Stakes is in its final year of a temporary stay at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York while Belmont Park on Long Island is rebuilt and reinvented. The race distance was changed from 1.5 miles to 1.25 miles due to the venue change.
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo skips Preakness Stakes for rest
Trainer Cherie DeVaux announced that Golden Tempo, the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner, will skip the Preakness Stakes scheduled for May 16 and instead rest for five weeks before competing in the Belmont Stakes on June 6. DeVaux cited the horse's health, happiness, and long-term future as reasons for the decision to bypass the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Churchill Downs acquires intellectual property rights to Preakness Stakes
Churchill Downs Inc. has acquired the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes, giving the company major control over the future direction of the race and the Triple Crown series.
Maryland racing officials consider moving Preakness to fourth Saturday in May
Maryland racing officials are considering moving the Preakness back from the third Saturday in May to the fourth Saturday to increase the spacing from the Kentucky Derby and improve the chances of Derby runners competing in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Golden Tempo wins Kentucky Derby as 23-1 long shot
Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby as a 23-1 long shot, charging from the back of the pack down the stretch to finish a neck ahead of morning line favorite Renegade.
Sixth time in eight years Triple Crown victory unlikely at Preakness
This will be the sixth time in the past eight years that the Preakness Stakes will be run without a realistic chance of a Triple Crown winner, as spacing between the Derby and Preakness has made the traditional two-week turnaround increasingly rare for elite thoroughbreds.
Third Derby winner in five years skips Preakness Stakes
Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in the past five years to skip the Preakness Stakes. In 2024, Sovereignty also bypassed the Preakness to rest before winning the Belmont Stakes, the Jim Dandy, the Travers, and earning Horse of the Year honors.
Cherie DeVaux becomes first woman to train Kentucky Derby winner
Cherie DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner with Golden Tempo's victory. DeVaux is from Saratoga Springs, New York, which is currently hosting the Belmont Stakes.
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2 alternative perspectives
Golden Tempo's Derby Victory Marks Historic Training Achievement
Golden Tempo's Derby upset win makes Cherie DeVaux the first female trainer to win the race.