Will Preakness date be pushed back in wake of Sovereignty’s win?

The decision by Bill Mott to forgo the Preakness Stakes may encourage other conservative trainers to similarly opt for additional rest over pursuing a Triple Crown opportunity.

In a repeat of the Kentucky Derby scenario, jockey Umberto Rispoli aboard Journalism made a bold move on the far turn during the Belmont Stakes, only to be outmaneuvered by his rival, Junior Alvarado, once again.

Riding the Derby champion Sovereignty, Alvarado expertly angled to the far outside, positioning himself within striking distance. As they approached the eighth pole, Sovereignty displayed remarkable acceleration, readily overtaking Journalism, the Preakness winner. In a stunning performance, Sovereignty completed the final quarter-mile in a swift 23.99 seconds, finishing the last eighth in under 12 seconds.

Clocking in at 2:00.69 for the classic 1 ¼ miles, this time ranks as the second-fastest ever recorded at the historic Saratoga Race Course—established in 1863. Mott’s unusual decision to bypass the Preakness in favor of an optimal five-week rest for Sovereignty effectively eliminated any chance for a Triple Crown this season.

“The Godolphin team and I made this decision together,” Mott stated in the post-race press conference. “One must have the courage to stand by the choices made, and in this case, I believe it was the correct one.”

Evaluating Longer Breaks

For decades, the Triple Crown’s rigorous schedule has posed a significant challenge, with only 13 horses claiming victory in all three races since 1919, Justify being the most recent in 2018. Traditionally, the Kentucky Derby occurs on the first Saturday of May, followed by a two-week break before the Preakness, then another three-week interval leading to the Belmont.

The trend of trainers racing horses on short rest is becoming increasingly rare. Whirlaway, the 1941 Triple Crown champion, had a staggering 60 races in his career. Several years later, Citation secured the eighth Triple Crown title in 1948, amassing 32 wins in 45 starts, with lifetime earnings exceeding $1 million.

Sovereignty’s stride under the finish line was reminiscent of a horse on its first run—a demonstration of complete dominance.

— Travis Stone (@TravisStone) June 7, 2025

Mystik Dan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby victor, competed only seven times that year and raced just once after a draining eighth-place finish in the Belmont. Similar to Journalism, Mystik Dan represents a dwindling number of three-year-olds participating in all three legs, taking a six-month hiatus after last December’s Malibu Stakes. In contrast, Flightline, the 2022 Horse of the Year, raced just three times that year and only six in total.

Johny Avello, Director of Sportsbook Operations at DraftKings and a veteran in horse racing, suggested that reevaluating the Triple Crown calendar could be beneficial.

“Purists may oppose it, but extending the schedule could be the right move for the sport—five weeks to run three races is incredibly demanding,” Avello shared with iGB.

Prospects for Rescheduling the Preakness

Avello’s comments came on the heels of La Cara’s impressive win in The Grade I Acorn. On a challenging sloppy track at Saratoga, La Cara led from start to finish, upsetting the previously undefeated Good Cheer and marking trainer Mark Casse’s inaugural Acorn victory.

Casse, who boasts over 3,560 career wins, previously secured the Preakness in 2019 with War of Will. At the most recent Preakness, only three horses from the Derby returned, illustrating the strain the current schedule places on competitors.

Casse entered Sandman, who placed third behind 8/5 favorite Journalism. Of the 20 horses in the Derby field, Journalism, Sandman, and American Promise were the only ones to return for the Preakness.

In the wake of Sovereignty’s victories in the Derby and Belmont while skipping the Preakness, opinions vary on the merits of such a strategy. You can argue against the player (Trainer Bill Mott, Godolphin) or the game itself (the Triple Crown schedule). Column from May: https://t.co/1T1Bh27CU9

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) June 9, 2025

Describing Bill Mott as one of the “greatest horsemen” in history, Casse emphasized he would never question Mott’s judgment. However, Casse has shifted his stance regarding the Preakness’s timing, now advocating for a more extended break between the first two legs.

“If we delayed it by 30 days, we would likely see a stronger field,” Casse remarked. “It’s still challenging, but I support moving it back.”

The Future of the Triple Crown Schedule

Prior to last Friday’s Just A Game Stakes, Mott was reluctant to discuss potential alterations to the Triple Crown calendar. When approached by iGB, he declined to elaborate on possible changes but reiterated that the decision to skip the Preakness was made with the horse’s best interests in mind.

If the Preakness were rescheduled for the first weekend of June, the New York Racing Association might align the Belmont with the Fourth of July weekend. Although Journalism exerted himself by racing three times in quick succession, some speculate that Sovereignty gained a competitive edge from his five-week rest.

Godolphin’s director of bloodstock, Michael Banahan, joined Mott at the post-Belmont press conference. While champions like American Pharoah and Justify have successfully clinched the Triple Crown, Banahan highlighted the many near-misses in the Belmont Stakes that have thwarted other contenders.

Since 1995, 11 horses have won the first two legs, only to be agonizingly defeated before reaching the wire.

“This situation has occurred before, and it will happen again,” Banahan noted about the choice to skip the Preakness after claiming the Kentucky Derby. “Those are the decisions that future contenders will face.”