6 hours ago
After a hard-fought bidding war, NBC Sports is retaining media rights to the Preakness Stakes, Front Office Sports has learned.
NBC had been defending its rights to the second leg of racing's Triple Crown against bidders such as Fox Sports, Netflix, and Amazon, say sources. It's unclear how long the network's new deal is for.
Dan Illman, a spokesman for the Maryland Jockey Club, declined to comment. But sources say Maryland Governor Wes Moore and other dignitaries are planning a press conference for 12 p.m. ET in Annapolis on Wednesday, where it will be announced that NBC will continue to carry the race.
The Preakness drew its biggest audience since 2021 this past May, averaging 5.5 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. That was up 22% from 4.9 million in 2025.
NBC has held Preakness rights since 2001. The network also boasts rights to the Kentucky Derby through 2032. Fox holds the rights to the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown.
#rights #sources #million
NBC had been defending its rights to the second leg of racing's Triple Crown against bidders such as Fox Sports, Netflix, and Amazon, say sources. It's unclear how long the network's new deal is for.
Dan Illman, a spokesman for the Maryland Jockey Club, declined to comment. But sources say Maryland Governor Wes Moore and other dignitaries are planning a press conference for 12 p.m. ET in Annapolis on Wednesday, where it will be announced that NBC will continue to carry the race.
The Preakness drew its biggest audience since 2021 this past May, averaging 5.5 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. That was up 22% from 4.9 million in 2025.
NBC has held Preakness rights since 2001. The network also boasts rights to the Kentucky Derby through 2032. Fox holds the rights to the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown.
#rights #sources #million
15 hours ago
Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Churchill Downs and the New York Racing ****** ociation Monday a new grouping of races for 3-year-olds that includes the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, but not the third leg of the existing Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, run in Maryland.
Churchill Downs and NYRA officials topped short of saying the six-race "Thoroughbred Championship Series" is designed to replace the historic Triple Crown. But with a $5 million bonus and longer ****** ing between the races, that would be the practical effect.
"This series is designed to showcase the sport's best 2-year-olds across a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the next generation of fans," David O'Rourke, the NYRA president and CEO, said Monday.
"By connecting these premier events through one championship, we're creating a season-long storyline that benefits the future of Thoroughbred racing," said Bill Carstanjen, the Churchill Downs Inc. CEO.
The series is to start with the Kentucky Derby on May 1 and follow with the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in July, the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in late July or early August, the Travers at Saratoga in late August and a "Championship Race" in September at Churchill Downs.
#churchill #championship #series #Monday
Churchill Downs and NYRA officials topped short of saying the six-race "Thoroughbred Championship Series" is designed to replace the historic Triple Crown. But with a $5 million bonus and longer ****** ing between the races, that would be the practical effect.
"This series is designed to showcase the sport's best 2-year-olds across a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the next generation of fans," David O'Rourke, the NYRA president and CEO, said Monday.
"By connecting these premier events through one championship, we're creating a season-long storyline that benefits the future of Thoroughbred racing," said Bill Carstanjen, the Churchill Downs Inc. CEO.
The series is to start with the Kentucky Derby on May 1 and follow with the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in July, the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in late July or early August, the Travers at Saratoga in late August and a "Championship Race" in September at Churchill Downs.
#churchill #championship #series #Monday
1 day ago
Over the last few years, the concept of winning the Triple Crown has been fading among horse racing's stakeholders.
On Monday, Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing ****** ociation might have delivered its death blow.
In announcing a joint partnership for a six-race series beginning in 2027 with a $5 million bonus attached to the end of it, one entity was notably missing: The Preakness.
The six races will cover the Kentucky Derby on May 2; the Belmont Stakes on June 5; back to Churchill for the Matt Winn stakes in early July; the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes at Saratoga in late July/August; and then a newly created race to finish the series at Churchill in September.
As for the Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown? Well, it still exists, but the traditional timing of the race — two weeks after the Kentucky Derby — has become incompatible with the way modern trainers manage their thoroughbreds. Golden Tempo and Sovereignty, the last two Derby winners, both skipped the Preakness, as did Rich Strike in 2022.
#churchill #preakness #last
On Monday, Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing ****** ociation might have delivered its death blow.
In announcing a joint partnership for a six-race series beginning in 2027 with a $5 million bonus attached to the end of it, one entity was notably missing: The Preakness.
The six races will cover the Kentucky Derby on May 2; the Belmont Stakes on June 5; back to Churchill for the Matt Winn stakes in early July; the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes at Saratoga in late July/August; and then a newly created race to finish the series at Churchill in September.
As for the Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown? Well, it still exists, but the traditional timing of the race — two weeks after the Kentucky Derby — has become incompatible with the way modern trainers manage their thoroughbreds. Golden Tempo and Sovereignty, the last two Derby winners, both skipped the Preakness, as did Rich Strike in 2022.
#churchill #preakness #last
7 days ago
Counting Stars has been shining bright during her three-year-old season
During the Spring and Summer, most of the Thoroughbred racing focus is on events like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes. All these races are restricted to three-year-olds and mostly males run in them. For every race that has colts contending for greatness and notoriety, there is a sister race for those wonderful three-year-old fillies. During the 2026 racing season, a fantastic filly named Counting Stars has been quite celestial and is shining as bright as any three-year-old currently, regardless of gender.
The grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks has long been a summer showcase for the three-year-old girls. Inaugurated in 1917, this mile and an eighth dance over the New York dirt has seen its fair share of fantastic fillies. The 2026 edition was a showdown between Kentucky Oaks (opening leg of the Triple Tiarra) winner Always A Runner and Acorn Stakes (third leg and sister to the Belmont Stakes) champ Counting Stars. As the race unfolded, it became more of a showcase for a fabulous female.
Breaking alertly under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Counting Stars immediately ******* umed the lead and rolled through some solid early fractions (23.86 opening quarter mile, 47.60 half mile). Sashaying to the top of the stretch in an almost effortless fashion, this daughter of Honor A.P. was suddenly challenged by her rival and Oaks winner Always A Runner. With an eighth of a mile to go, the two were running side by side and separated by a whisker. Suddenly, the Stars aligned and with an amazing comet-like burst of speed, this mercurial filly trained by Mark Casse left her rival eating kickback as she whisked towards the wire. At the sixteenth pole the race was over and Counting Stars cruised past the finish an emphatic 4 ¼ lengths ahead in Stakes record time (1:48.98).
"Coming into the race I was about as confident as you can be in this filly", says trainer Mark Casse. "At the eighth pole, I wondered if perhaps I was wrong and she's not as good as I think. Always a Runner is a very good horse so naturally I was a little concerned, but then she responded to the challenge with a huge effort down the lane".
#stakes #year #always #runner
During the Spring and Summer, most of the Thoroughbred racing focus is on events like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes. All these races are restricted to three-year-olds and mostly males run in them. For every race that has colts contending for greatness and notoriety, there is a sister race for those wonderful three-year-old fillies. During the 2026 racing season, a fantastic filly named Counting Stars has been quite celestial and is shining as bright as any three-year-old currently, regardless of gender.
The grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks has long been a summer showcase for the three-year-old girls. Inaugurated in 1917, this mile and an eighth dance over the New York dirt has seen its fair share of fantastic fillies. The 2026 edition was a showdown between Kentucky Oaks (opening leg of the Triple Tiarra) winner Always A Runner and Acorn Stakes (third leg and sister to the Belmont Stakes) champ Counting Stars. As the race unfolded, it became more of a showcase for a fabulous female.
Breaking alertly under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Counting Stars immediately ******* umed the lead and rolled through some solid early fractions (23.86 opening quarter mile, 47.60 half mile). Sashaying to the top of the stretch in an almost effortless fashion, this daughter of Honor A.P. was suddenly challenged by her rival and Oaks winner Always A Runner. With an eighth of a mile to go, the two were running side by side and separated by a whisker. Suddenly, the Stars aligned and with an amazing comet-like burst of speed, this mercurial filly trained by Mark Casse left her rival eating kickback as she whisked towards the wire. At the sixteenth pole the race was over and Counting Stars cruised past the finish an emphatic 4 ¼ lengths ahead in Stakes record time (1:48.98).
"Coming into the race I was about as confident as you can be in this filly", says trainer Mark Casse. "At the eighth pole, I wondered if perhaps I was wrong and she's not as good as I think. Always a Runner is a very good horse so naturally I was a little concerned, but then she responded to the challenge with a huge effort down the lane".
#stakes #year #always #runner
27 days ago
Golden Tempo used a huge late kick to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He now targets the Travers for his next start
Golden Tempo captured the hearts of the sporting world with dramatic wins in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in the Spring. With the high-profile Summer Stakes races getting under way, trainer Cherie DeVaux has mapped out a plan for her prized three-year-old colt that has him training up to his next start in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 29.
In winning the world's most famous race, Golden Tempo placed himself as a real player in the Thoroughbred game. Last down the backstretch, lightning struck as this stretch-running son of Curlin thundered home with powerful strides and won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 23 to 1 under a brilliant ride from jockey Jose Ortiz. The more you replay Derby 152, the more amazing it becomes as this miraculous run was nothing short of Golden.
After bypassing the Preakness Stakes, the Golden Tempo team went to Saratoga for the Belmont Stakes with something to prove. After becoming the first female to condition a Kentucky Derby champion, DeVaux was eager to show she was not a rising female trainer but just a rising trainer period. Tempo carried that 23 to 1 moniker into the starting gates as other entrants were favored over him as some viewed him as a "lucky" winner on the first Saturday in May. And then the gates opened and Golden Tempo set the record straight. Breaking from the outside post in a 9-horse field, the Phipps Stables and St. Elias Stables owned colt careened up the backstretch looking at all the others. When the real running started, there was Golden Tempo confidently crushing it down the stretch. Rolling to the finish a powerful length and a quarter to the good, there was no doubt as to who the best three-year-old was on that day and in this 2026 crop.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK - JUNE 06: Jose Ortiz atop Golden Tempo celebrates winning the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on June 06, 2026 in Saratoga Springs, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Golden Tempo captured the hearts of the sporting world with dramatic wins in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in the Spring. With the high-profile Summer Stakes races getting under way, trainer Cherie DeVaux has mapped out a plan for her prized three-year-old colt that has him training up to his next start in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 29.
In winning the world's most famous race, Golden Tempo placed himself as a real player in the Thoroughbred game. Last down the backstretch, lightning struck as this stretch-running son of Curlin thundered home with powerful strides and won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 23 to 1 under a brilliant ride from jockey Jose Ortiz. The more you replay Derby 152, the more amazing it becomes as this miraculous run was nothing short of Golden.
After bypassing the Preakness Stakes, the Golden Tempo team went to Saratoga for the Belmont Stakes with something to prove. After becoming the first female to condition a Kentucky Derby champion, DeVaux was eager to show she was not a rising female trainer but just a rising trainer period. Tempo carried that 23 to 1 moniker into the starting gates as other entrants were favored over him as some viewed him as a "lucky" winner on the first Saturday in May. And then the gates opened and Golden Tempo set the record straight. Breaking from the outside post in a 9-horse field, the Phipps Stables and St. Elias Stables owned colt careened up the backstretch looking at all the others. When the real running started, there was Golden Tempo confidently crushing it down the stretch. Rolling to the finish a powerful length and a quarter to the good, there was no doubt as to who the best three-year-old was on that day and in this 2026 crop.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK - JUNE 06: Jose Ortiz atop Golden Tempo celebrates winning the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on June 06, 2026 in Saratoga Springs, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
2 months ago
How to Watch Belmont Stakes 2026: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Triple Crown Race originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Get ready for the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The 2026 Belmont Stakes will be held on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course instead of Belmont Park, which is currently undergoing significant renovations. While there won't be a Triple Crown winner this year, the event should still provide plenty of entertainment for horse racing enthusiasts.
After winning the Kentucky Derby and skipping the Preakness Stakes, Golden Tempo will participate in the Belmont Stakes. Trainer Cherie DeVaux is hoping to see another victory, but Golden Tempo will have to beat top contenders like Renegade and Chief Wallabee.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Belmont Stakes.
Get ready for the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The 2026 Belmont Stakes will be held on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course instead of Belmont Park, which is currently undergoing significant renovations. While there won't be a Triple Crown winner this year, the event should still provide plenty of entertainment for horse racing enthusiasts.
After winning the Kentucky Derby and skipping the Preakness Stakes, Golden Tempo will participate in the Belmont Stakes. Trainer Cherie DeVaux is hoping to see another victory, but Golden Tempo will have to beat top contenders like Renegade and Chief Wallabee.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Belmont Stakes.
2 months ago
Renegade was made the 2-1 morning-line favorite during Monday’s draw for the Belmont Stakes, set for Saturday, June 6, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Renegade, runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, drew the No. 4 post in a field of nine for the $2 million, Grade 1 Belmont.
The race is being held at Saratoga because of renovations at Belmont Park, the traditional host track located in Elmont, New York. Because of the change in tracks, the Belmont will be contested at 1 1/4 miles instead of 1 1/2 miles.
Post time is set for 7:04 p.m., and FOX will have live coverage from 3-7:30 p.m.
The Belmont will mark the racing return of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, who skipped the Preakness. Golden Tempo drew the No. 9 post and is 9-2 in the morning line.
Renegade, runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, drew the No. 4 post in a field of nine for the $2 million, Grade 1 Belmont.
The race is being held at Saratoga because of renovations at Belmont Park, the traditional host track located in Elmont, New York. Because of the change in tracks, the Belmont will be contested at 1 1/4 miles instead of 1 1/2 miles.
Post time is set for 7:04 p.m., and FOX will have live coverage from 3-7:30 p.m.
The Belmont will mark the racing return of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, who skipped the Preakness. Golden Tempo drew the No. 9 post and is 9-2 in the morning line.
1 yr. ago
A fitting end to the close of a storied chapter!
JOURNALISM and jockey Umberto Rispoli showed resilience and grit, much like Pimlico itself, to win Preakness 150.
HR_nation
ABRLive
Hipismonet
Scott Serio
JOURNALISM and jockey Umberto Rispoli showed resilience and grit, much like Pimlico itself, to win Preakness 150.
HR_nation
ABRLive
Hipismonet
Scott Serio
