2026 Triple Crown schedule: dates, tracks and results
The 2026 Triple Crown schedule began on May 2 at Churchill Downs and finished on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course. Two things set it apart. The Preakness was run at Laurel Park while Pimlico was being rebuilt, and the Belmont was held at Saratoga for a third straight year.
2026 Triple Crown Winners
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jockey José Ortiz · Trainer Cherie DeVaux · 23-1 · Beat Renegade by a neck | |||
| Saturday | Kentucky Derby (152nd Running) | Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY | Golden Tempo |
| Jockey Paco Lopez · Trainer Chad Summers · about 8-1 · Won by 1 1/4 lengths over Iron Honor · 1:58.69 | |||
| Saturday | Preakness Stakes (151st Running) | Laurel Park, Laurel, MD | Napoleon Solo |
| Jockey José Ortiz · Trainer Cherie DeVaux · Run at 1 1/4 miles · Renegade and Commandment rounded out the placings | |||
| Saturday | Belmont Stakes (158th Running) | Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY | Golden Tempo |
The Derby. Golden Tempo came from near the back of the field to win the 152nd Derby at 23-1. Trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to saddle a Derby winner, and José Ortiz won his first Derby.
The Preakness. Napoleon Solo won the 151st Preakness at Laurel Park. Chip Honcho finished third. Golden Tempo skipped the race, so the 2026 Triple Crown was ruled out before the Preakness was even run.
The Belmont. Golden Tempo won the 158th Belmont over the shortened 1¼-mile distance at Saratoga. That made him the rare horse to take two legs of a Triple Crown series in one year.
2027 Triple Crown racing schedule at a glance
2027 Triple Crown Racing Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Leg 1 · 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) · Run for the Roses | ||
| Saturday | Kentucky Derby (153rd Running) | Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY |
| Leg 2 · 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs) · First Sunday Triple Crown race · Black Eyed Susan on Sat, May 22 | ||
| Sunday | Preakness Stakes (152nd Running) | Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD |
| Leg 3 · 1 1/2 miles (12 furlongs) · Final jewel of the Triple Crown | ||
| Saturday | Belmont Stakes (159th Running) | Belmont Park, Elmont, NY |
What is the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing?
The Triple Crown is the best-known race series in American horse racing. It is run each year in May and early June and is open only to three-year-old Thoroughbreds. A horse has to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes to take the title. Only 13 horses have done it, which is why many fans call it the hardest feat in sport. Bookmark this horse racing schedule Triple Crown guide if you want the key dates in one place.
When is the 2027 Kentucky Derby?
The 153rd Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race began in 1875 and is run on the first Saturday in May. It covers 1¼ miles on dirt, and crowds of more than 150,000 regularly attend. Its nickname, “The Run for the Roses,” comes from the garland of roses draped over the winner. The purse is about $5 million.
When is the 2027 Preakness Stakes?
The 152nd Preakness Stakes is on Sunday, May 23, 2027, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. It is the first time any Triple Crown race has been run on a Sunday. The Black Eyed Susan Stakes will be held the day before, on Saturday, May 22. For anyone tracking a horse racing schedule Triple Crown week by week, the Sunday date is the one to note.
Why the date changed. The race moves from two weeks after the Derby to three weeks and a day after it. Recent Derby winners have often skipped the Preakness to rest for the Belmont. The extra week is meant to bring more of them back for the second leg.
The race returns to Pimlico in 2027. In 2026 it was run at Laurel Park, about 20 miles away, while Pimlico was rebuilt. The Preakness covers 1 3/16 miles and has a purse of about $2 million.
When is the 2027 Belmont Stakes?
The 159th Belmont Stakes is on Saturday, June 5, 2027, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race was held at Saratoga Race Course from 2024 to 2026 during the rebuild, and it comes home in 2027. It is the longest and oldest of the three races, at 1½ miles, and it stays five weeks after the Derby. Its purse is about $2 million.
How the 2027 calendar differs from the 2026 Triple Crown schedule
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Derby to Preakness | 14 days | 22 days |
| Preakness to Belmont | 21 days | 13 days |
| Derby to Belmont | 35 days | 35 days |
The gap between the Derby and the Preakness is the biggest shift in the triple crown horse race schedule in 2027. It makes the middle leg easier on Derby winners. It also makes the final two races harder to run back to back.
Triple Crown distances explained
Each race asks something different of a horse:
- Kentucky Derby (1¼ miles): the shortest leg, where early speed and position matter.
- Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 miles): a tight race that rewards a horse who can hold a steady pace.
- Belmont Stakes (1½ miles): the longest leg and the hardest test of stamina.
Running all three within about five weeks is what makes a sweep so rare.
All 13 Triple Crown winners
Triple Crown Winners
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Thursday | Sir Barton |
| Thursday | Gallant Fox |
| Thursday | Omaha |
| Thursday | War Admiral |
| Thursday | Whirlaway |
| Thursday | Count Fleet |
| Thursday | Assault |
| Thursday | Citation |
| Monday | Secretariat |
| Saturday | Seattle Slew |
| Sunday | Affirmed |
| Thursday | American Pharoah |
| Thursday | Justify |
Who was the last Triple Crown winner? Justify, in 2018. American Pharoah won in 2015, which ended a 37-year wait since Affirmed in 1978. They are the only living Triple Crown winners.
Records worth knowing
- Secretariat (1973) holds the record time in all three races. His 2:24 for 1½ miles in the Belmont is still a world record.
- American Pharoah won 9 of his 11 career starts and earned more than $8 million. In 2015 he became the first horse to win the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same year.
- Gallant Fox and Omaha are the only father and son to each win the Triple Crown.
Famous Triple Crown trainers and jockeys
- Jim “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons was the first trainer to win the Triple Crown twice, with Gallant Fox and Omaha.
- Bob Baffert trained both American Pharoah and Justify. He holds the record for Preakness wins, with eight.
- Lucien Laurin trained Secretariat.
- Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to win the Triple Crown twice, in 1941 and 1948. He is often named the greatest American jockey.
- Mike Smith rode Justify in 2018. He is a Hall of Fame jockey and holds the record for Breeders’ Cup wins.
How the Triple Crown got its name
The three races started in different years in the 1800s: the Belmont in 1867, the Preakness in 1873 and the Kentucky Derby in 1875. Some writers were already calling them a “Triple Crown” by 1923. The name took hold in 1930, after Gallant Fox won all three and Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form used it widely. The trophy itself was not commissioned until 1950, and earlier winners were given it afterward.
The 2021 Kentucky Derby controversy
Medina Spirit, trained by Bob Baffert, crossed the line first in 2021. He then tested positive for the steroid betamethasone. Kentucky racing officials overturned the result in February 2022, and runner-up Mandaloun was declared the winner. Churchill Downs banned Baffert from the Derby for two years. The New York Racing Association also tried to suspend him from its tracks, but a federal judge nullified that in July 2021.
Where to watch the 2027 Triple Crown
Broadcast details for 2027 have not been confirmed yet. Check the official Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes sites for the final triple crown racing schedule and TV listings closer to race day. Viewers in Australia can look for the races on Sky Racing, which carries major US meetings. Major tracks also stream some races for free on their own websites.
FAQ
What is the 2027 triple crown racing schedule?
The Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 1. The Preakness Stakes is Sunday, May 23. The Belmont Stakes is Saturday, June 5.
What was the 2026 Triple Crown schedule?
The Kentucky Derby was May 2, the Preakness was May 16 and the Belmont was June 6.
Why is the 2027 Preakness on a Sunday?
To add a week between the Derby and the Preakness, so more Derby horses run in the second leg.
How many Triple Crown winners are there?
Thirteen, from Sir Barton in 1919 to Justify in 2018.
Who won the 2026 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont?
Golden Tempo won the Derby and the Belmont. Napoleon Solo won the Preakness.