The Maryland Jockey Club Announces Changes to 2027 Preakness Week

Preakness to be run Sunday, May 23
Black-Eyed Susan on Saturday, May 22
NBC Sports extends media rights partnership

ANNAPOLIS, MD — At a press conference in Annapolis today, Governor Wes Moore, The
Maryland Jockey Club, and NBC Sports announced several updates to the 2027 Preakness
Stakes, the second jewel of the historic Triple Crown, a term coined in 1930.

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. To enhance the weeklong festivities in
Baltimore, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes card, usually held on Friday, Preakness Eve, will be
moved to Saturday, May 22.

The Preakness Stakes program, the highlight of the special racing weekend, will conclude
the festival on Sunday.

“Moving the Preakness to the fourth weekend in May is a historic announcement,” said Bill
Knauf, President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. “We believe the
Preakness and the entire Triple Crown series are positioned for growth and great success.
This extra week between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness opens the Preakness to
potential participants who use modern training methods.”

Knauf continued. “Our focus is to preserve the tradition of horses running back in the
Preakness and to enhance participation in the Triple Crown races. 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. 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. Baltimore will become the place to be on Memorial Day weekends, as the
spotlight of the racing world descends on Pimlico.”

The Maryland Jockey Club has renewed its media rights agreement with NBC Sports for the
Preakness, ensuring the race will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock through 2032. The
Maryland Jockey Club, founded in 1743, is the oldest sports association in the United
States.

“We have successfully secured the future of Preakness here in the state of Maryland for
decades to come; and I am delighted that the Maryland Jockey Club has renewed its media
partnership with NBC and Peacock as we enter this exciting new era,” said Gov. Moore.
“The continuation of this relationship and the new schedule ensures optimal and
accessible coverage for everyone from horse racing experts to casual fans, as our
administration continues making historic investments and leveraging the iconic race as a
cornerstone of Maryland’s history, culture and economy.”

The ongoing partnership between NBC Sports and the Maryland Jockey Club, established
in 2001, will make NBC the longest-standing broadcaster of the Preakness Stakes.

“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,” said Jon Miller, President, Acquisitions & Partnerships, NBC Sports.
“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.”

The extension includes multiplatform rights to the Preakness Stakes, Black-Eyed Susan
Stakes, and extensive Preakness weekend programming, all presented on NBC, Peacock,
and NBCSN.

Inaugurated in 1873, the Preakness is not only one of America’s great sporting events and
part of the prestigious Triple Crown series of races but 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.”