​The field of the 2026 Kentucky Derby heads into the first turn during the Derby race at Churchill Downs. May 2, 2026.Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectTwo days before Maryland officials were set to make one of the biggest changes to the Triple Crown in horse racing history, the announcement of a new thoroughbred championship series featuring the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes — but not the Preakness — dominated the discourse.Mark Anthony Thomas of the Greater Baltimore Committee got worried text messages from many in the business community.“There was immediate concern on two parts,” Thomas said. “One, does this mean the Triple Crown loses its luster? And then second is, how do we fortify the Triple Crown to where it retains its prominence within horse racing?”The Preakness is moving back to three weeks and a day after the Derby, which will lead off a brand new series of races — and now there are more new questions about the future of the Triple Crown.What was wrong with the Triple Crown that needed fixing?Depending on who you talk to in the industry, there are very different answers to that question.During much of the 37-year drought between Affirmed winning the Triple Crown in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015, there was plenty of debate over whether it was too difficult for modern 3-year-olds to sweep three races over a five-week span.“One of the trainers said it to me a few days ago, ‘The Triple Crown is supposed to be hard, and it’s not meant to be easy,’” Maryland Jockey Club CEO Bill Knauf said. “It’s a test, and so the great, great horses are the ones that can finish it and complete it and win all three.”Justify doing it in 2018 quieted the conversation for a bit. Then, in the past several years, trainers and owners increasingly opted to skip the Preakness after running a horse in — or even winning — the Kentucky Derby.Two Derby champions in a row and three of the past five bypassed the middle leg two weeks later to shoot for the Belmont five weeks later. Stakeholders, even some of the most staunch traditionalists, began to change their minds about the spacing of the Triple Crown.What does the Preakness moving do to the Triple Crown?Right away, it all but certainly means 2027 will be a ninth consecutive year without a Triple Crown winner.The Kentucky Derby — by far the pinnacle of horse racing and an event that transcends sports — remains entrenched in its sacred place on the first Saturday in May. The Preakness is set to be run on Sunday, May 23.But with the Thoroughbred Championship Series announcement on Monday also came word that the Belmont will take place on Saturday, June 5. The 13-day turnaround, especially with the Belmont going back to 1 1/2 miles, is an incredibly difficult ask for even the best 3-year-olds and figures to make it a choice between that race and Preakness for at least next year.“We made the decision upon what we felt was the best move for the