Churchill Downs, NYRA Launch Six-Race 3-Year-Old Championship Series Beginning in 2027
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing Association announced Monday the formation of a new six-race championship series for 3-year-olds that will debut in 2027. The Thoroughbred Championship Series will feature the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and include a $5 million bonus pool awarded through a season-long points system.
The series will begin with the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs, followed by the Belmont Stakes on June 5. The Belmont will return to Belmont Park and its traditional 1 1/2-mile distance after being contested at Saratoga over 1 1/4 miles for the previous three years.
Also included are the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in early July, the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in late July or early August, the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in late August, and a championship race at Churchill Downs in September that has not yet been named. Dates for the four races outside the Triple Crown have not been finalized.
All six races will receive national television coverage. NBC will broadcast the Churchill Downs races, while FOX will air the NYRA events.
Although the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes are two legs of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes is not part of the new championship series. Horses will earn points based on designated finishing positions in the six races that make up the series.
David O’Rourke, president and CEO of NYRA, said during a late-afternoon conference call that the Maryland Jockey Club was not involved in discussions about the new series and emphasized that the initiative is not intended to alter the Triple Crown.
“This is a very familiar format to the casual sports fan, it’s a points system across the entire season,” O’Rourke said. “This builds on top of the Triple Crown or alongside it, it doesn’t change anything with it. The Triple Crown is still one of the rarest things in sports.”
O’Rourke’s comments came during a second conference call with reporters after an earlier scheduled 4 p.m. call featuring Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen ended prematurely when pre-submitted questions were not asked by the moderator. O’Rourke participated in the follow-up call, while Carstanjen did not.
During the initial conference call, Carstanjen said, “each of the six races matter as we build new traditions and standards of equine excellence culminating with the crowning of a champion at the finale of the series to be held in September at Churchill Downs.”
Details surrounding the September championship race have not yet been announced. Churchill Downs currently stages the $500,000 Lukas Classic for horses ages 3 and up at 1 1/8 miles in late September, along with the $300,000 Bourbon Flight for 3-year-olds at 1 3/16 miles. One of those races is expected to be modified in some way to become part of the new series.
O’Rourke said horses must compete in at least four of the six races to be eligible for the championship. He also indicated that the points system will be weighted, with the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes carrying greater point values than the remaining races.
He confirmed that the $5 million bonus pool will be distributed among the top eight point earners. He also said organizers expect each race in the series to offer a minimum purse of $1 million.
The Kentucky Derby, with a $5 million purse, the Belmont Stakes at $2 million, and the Travers Stakes at $1.25 million already exceed that minimum. This year’s editions of both the Jim Dandy and Matt Winn were worth $500,000. The Matt Winn, which was run the day after this year’s Belmont Stakes, is expected to move to the first weekend in July beginning in 2027.
In each of the past two years, the Kentucky Derby winner bypassed the Preakness Stakes and returned five weeks later for the Belmont Stakes. That trend has fueled discussion about increasing the spacing between Triple Crown races, a topic that could be affected by the introduction of the new championship series.
Dan Illman, a spokesman for the Maryland Jockey Club, said the organization “would not comment on the series because we just learned of the announcement.”
Earlier this year, Churchill Downs Inc. sought to acquire the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan for $85 million from 1/ST Racing. The state of Maryland exercised its right of first refusal to match the offer and reacquire those rights.
Media rights for the Preakness have expired, and NBC and FOX are believed to be competing for the broadcast rights, with a decision expected in the near future.
O’Rourke said having both NBC and FOX involved in televising the series should benefit Thoroughbred racing.
“One of the powerful things we have is the ability to use both broadcasters to co-promote, so it’s really getting more exposure for the game across the entirety basically from the spring into the early fall,” O’Rourke said.
He added that the concept could eventually be expanded beyond 3-year-olds.
“This gives us a foundation to build off of,” O’Rourke said. “We’re starting with 3-year-olds, conversations could go into other divisions.”
Several prominent trainers expressed interest in the new series.
Bob Baffert, who has won a record 17 Triple Crown races, said the championship series is appealing but would not change how he approaches the Triple Crown.
“I hope I have a horse good enough and if I do and I won the Derby, I’d still run in the Preakness and the Triple Crown because it’s part of history, and the classics are still very exciting,” Baffert said.
Baffert also said he believes the series could help maintain fan engagement after the Triple Crown concludes.
“Instead of being honed in on the classics, they’ll be honed in on everything else because usually after the Belmont they quit watching,” he said.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner and four-time Belmont Stakes winner, also welcomed the concept.
“I think it’s interesting. Anything we can do to promote excitement and have these 3-year-olds run against each other more often and hopefully generate more interest from the fans and create new fans, all for it.”
Trainer Mark Casse viewed the collaboration between Churchill Downs and NYRA as a significant development.
“What I like, honestly, is New York and Kentucky working together,” Casse said. “That’s important because going forward that’s our future, Churchill Downs and NYRA. They can do so much.”
Casse also believes the structure of the series will encourage horses to race more often.
“Without a doubt, money talks,” he said. “I like the points system and I like that because it creates interest and hope and dreams.”
