LEXINGTON, Ky. — As the headlines attest, we are living through one of the most consequential weeks in the history of North American Thoroughbred horse racing.

“The Triple Crown Passes Away At 107” sat atop a column written by veteran turf writer Bill Finley for the Thoroughbred Daily News.

“Horse racing’s Triple Crown may be dead”...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Preakness Stakes‘ exclusion from a new season-long national Thoroughbred Championship Series has raised fresh questions about the future of Maryland’s signature horse race, even as state officials unveiled sweeping changes aimed at strengthening the event and attracting the nation’s top thoroughbreds.

Gov. Wes Moore, the...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association are partnering for a new horse racing series that’s being billed as a season-long championship for three-year-old Thoroughbreds.

Starting in 2027, the Thoroughbred Championship Series will crown a three-year-old champion following a six-race series that will be held across...Read more

CHICAGO — Hawthorne Race Course has reached a preliminary agreement to sell the track for $90 million to a company that’s expected to close down the racetrack unless another bidder comes to the rescue in bankruptcy court.

The west suburban track submitted a “stalking horse” proposal Thursday in bankruptcy court to sell its real estate ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Gov. Wes Moore’s administration announced Thursday that Maryland will secure control of the Preakness Stakes’ intellectual property, matching an $85 million offer by Churchill Downs and ending months of uncertainty over the future of the Triple Crown event.

“The Preakness Stakes is more than just a race; it is a cornerstone ...Read more

Golden Tempo closed the 2026 horse racing Triple Crown season with a win in the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday night over 1 and 1/4 miles on a fast main track at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Golden Tempo claimed two of the three legs of this year’s horse ...Read more

BALTIMORE — A group of protesters stood near the entrance to Laurel Park on Saturday, holding signs accusing horse racing of cruelty, while fans dressed in bright spring colors streamed toward Maryland’s biggest racing weekend of the year.

“Horse racing kills horses,” one sign read.

“Horse racing is animal abuse,” another bright ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — Adorned in a cerulean button-down and tan blazer, Napoleon Solo owner Al Gold strutted off the track and into the postrace news conference with a childlike whimsy.

He described the 3-year-old colt’s win of the 151st Preakness Stakes as “just [a] blank-ing awesome” race at Laurel Park. Gold’s eyes were affixed to a TV ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — Napoleon Solo, a long shot on the morning betting line, emerged victorious from the throes of the largest Preakness Stakes field in 15 years at Laurel Park on Saturday.

The 3-year-old colt — trained by Chad Summers, owned by Gold Square LLC and jockeyed by Paco Lopez — was patient. It was a fast-paced race. He settled into ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — Maryland’s interest in purchasing the rights to the Preakness Stakes’ brand for $85 million was a highlight of conversation Saturday at Laurel Park ahead of the 151st running of the historic race.

And while Gov. Wes Moore won’t say whether the state will purchase the race’s intellectual property rights, or where that ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — The 3-year-old horse was supposed to be perfect.

That was the inspiration behind the name, Hit Zero, a piece of 10-year-old Bailey Horowitz’s world she carried with her as a curious and cheerful spectator on Friday morning at Laurel Park.

In competitive cheerleading, “hitting zero” means completing a routine without ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — Long before he became the voice of the Triple Crown, before millions of viewers came to recognize the rhythm and rise of his calls on NBC broadcasts every spring, Larry Collmus was just a Maryland teenager standing alone in a tiny booth at Laurel Park.

He would watch the horses thunder down the stretch and practice race calls to...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — A horse died after the opening race on Friday at Laurel Park, prompting renewed criticism from animal advocates as Preakness weekend festivities began.

Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell and owned by ItsTheJHo LLC and Evan Trommer, died “of an apparent cardiac event” after Race 1 at Laurel Park, according to a statement ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — The odds are that Laurel Park will never see another big crowd as it hosts the Preakness Stakes on Saturday and then transitions into retirement as a training track.

Laurel opened in 1911 and, from its start, competed as a distant second to Pimlico in Maryland. Seabiscuit was trained at Laurel in 1938 before the big match race ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — A horse died after the opening race on Friday at Laurel Park as Preakness weekend festivities got underway, according to track officials.

Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell and owned by ItsTheJHo LLC and Evan Trommer, died after Race 1 at Laurel Park. Race officials said veterinary personnel responded immediately but could ...Read more

LAUREL, Md. — It’s an unusual 2026 Preakness Stakes, with the event at Laurel Park instead of Pimlico Race Course. It’ll be a smaller crowd Saturday, and Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo won’t be in the 14-horse field.

While many things about the Preakness are changing shape — perhaps even the Triple Crown calendar in coming years �...Read more

BALTIMORE — Every year since 1909, after each Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, an artist has scaled the cupola and painted its weathervane to match the color scheme of the winning horse and jockey.

While most of Pimlico has been bulldozed over, tradition will attempt to carry on.

On Saturday, when a Preakness 151 winner is decided at...Read more

BALTIMORE — Maryland is seriously exploring a potential $85 million move to secure the Preakness Stakes’ brand, an action that would further bind the historic race to the state where it has been run for more than 150 years, according to five sources with knowledge of the state’s assessment.

A spokesman for Gov. Wes Moore said the state ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The 2026 Preakness Stakes will take place Saturday at Laurel Park. Here’s a look at the 14-horse field and expected contenders after Monday night’s post position draw:

Taj Mahal, post position 1

A potential favorite of Maryland fans, Taj Mahal has raced three times in his career and won all three times. Each race took place ...Read more