Triple Crown 2027 and the Thoroughbred Championship Series: Derby May 1, Preakness May 23, Belmont June 5 and the New Series Dates

The 2027 Triple Crown runs on a new calendar, and a new series sits beside it. The Preakness moves to Sunday, May 23, and the Thoroughbred Championship Series of Churchill Downs Inc. and NYRA links the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to four races from July to September, without the Preakness. A second division does the same for 3-year-old fillies from the Kentucky Oaks.

The 2027 dates

The Maryland Jockey Club has moved the Preakness: the 152nd Preakness is at Pimlico on Sunday, May 23, eight days after its traditional third-Saturday date, with the Black-Eyed Susan moved to Saturday, May 22. Its president, Bill Knauf, said the extra week between the Derby and the Preakness opens the race to horses trained with modern methods. The Derby stays on the first Saturday in May and the Belmont Stakes returns to Belmont Park on June 5.

The Thoroughbred Championship Series: Derby Division

Churchill Downs Inc. and NYRA built the Derby Division from the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, the Matt Winn at Churchill on July 3, the Jim Dandy and the Travers at Saratoga, and a final race at Churchill on September 25. Thoroughbred Daily News reported that the series has a $5 million prize pool paid on the final standings of a unified points system, and that a horse must run in four of the legs to be eligible for any bonus, according to NYRA's David O'Rourke. Churchill Downs' races air on NBC and NYRA's on FOX, TDN reported. The releases describe a points system but do not give its points table.

The Thoroughbred Championship Series: Oaks Division

The Oaks Division, added on October 28, 2026, runs from the Kentucky Oaks on April 30 through the Acorn at Belmont Park, the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama at Saratoga. According to NYRA and Churchill Downs Inc., it carries a $1 million prize pool shared by the three highest-ranked fillies, and an invitation for the division winner to the TCS Championship on September 25, with a guaranteed bonus worth up to $1 million if she wins. The two divisions cover 10 races worth more than $22 million in purses and prizes, all on NBC or FOX.

The same races in 2026

Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Counting Stars won the Acorn Stakes and the Coaching Club American Oaks. The Black-Eyed Susan and the Preakness Stakes were run at Laurel Park in 2026 and go to Pimlico in 2027. The Acorn Stakes and the Belmont Stakes were run at Saratoga in 2026 and go to Belmont Park in 2027.