The winner of Kentucky Derby jumping Preakness 2025 should lead to a change

• A few hours before the decision not to manage it, the Junior Jockey Alvarado told Courier Journal that he was worthy of Triple Crown.
• Two weeks cut it over the recovery time, especially during this critical stage in horse racing where horse safety is at a higher price.

The worst sentence spoken in any language, dialect or accent is: “This is how we have always done so.”

Following the tradition is well until it is no longer logical to continue in the same way. THE Triple crown heads towards this territory where tradition must change.

The Tuesday news of the coach Bill Mott that Kentucky derby-Mer Colt Sovereignty will not participate in preakness issues is another warning from the whole industry.

Something should move. Be leaving the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes On their current dates and move the Preakness Stakes at July. Or push the preakness to the Memorial Day Weekend and the Belmont until July 4.

There will be no prosecution at Triple Crown. No potential revenge and budding rivalry with JournalismWho was the favorite of the bets he beat in 1 ½ length. And no way, this ad will help develop the momentum from The 17 million viewers who watched the derbywhich has been the most general since 1989, on NBC or broadcast on Peacock.

A few hours before the decision was made not to execute it, Jockey Alvarado Juniorwho was aboard sovereignty over his three victories, was told The Courier Journal That he was worthy of Triple Crown. But the spacing between the breeds required a lot of horse.

“Two weeks between races, that's how it was forever, I understand that, but that makes consequences,” said Alvarado. “Horses try hard when you have a horse like mine which must overcome so much ground and as much kick, it takes a little to recover.”

Alvarado said he was behind everything Mott had decided because he wanted to “make sure that when I come back to sovereignty in the next race, I want to have the horse I had in the derby.”

Two weeks cut it over the recovery time, especially during this critical stage in horse racing where horse safety is at a higher price.

After Win Kentucky Derby 150 Last year, Trainer Kenny McPeek slow If mystik dan would participate In Preakness, mainly based on chronology.

McPeek was not afraid to bring back a horse quickly; He noted that he had done it once over seven days of rest. But Mystik Dan had a pulmonary infection last November after having run 13 days between races, and McPeek did not want to risk this anymore.

Not even for the preakness.

Any change in the calendar would have a training effect, and this must be weighed. But everything should be on the table for the discussion, and the three racing associations and the tracks involved must be in the conversation, because having the Preakness two weeks after the Kentucky derby is untenable. It is not a question of keeping a viable race, the whole industry must benefit from the remaining relevant triple crown.

In the current state of things, four of the last seven winners of the derby failed to participate in the second stage of the triple crown:

In 2019, Country house fell with respiratory infection after being awarded first when Maximum security has been disqualified For interference in the second turn. Lookin's son on Lucky never ran after the derby.

In 2021, Mandaloun jumped the preakness to rest and did not cut itself before June. At the time, Trainer Brad Cox said about a National Association of Race of Thoroughbred The conference call, “We just feel in the best interest of the horse, to go back in two weeks is simply not the right thing for him.”

(Technically, Medina Spirit was still considered the derby champion During the operation of the Preakness 2021, despite a positive test for the drug, betamethasone six days earlier. His disqualification would not become final until February 2022.)

In 2022, Rich strike Coach Eric Reed chose to keep the passionate ice colt on the same calendar that helped him win the derby as a long shot of 80-1. He stopped the preakness and waited to run in the Belmont Stakes, where he finished sixth.

It had taken almost 40 years for a healthy derby winner to jump the preakness. Spending a male made in 1985 Due to a promotion of gadgets that would lead the colt to win a bonus of $ 2 million at the Garden State Park in New Jersey.

Horses of that time were not higher for three races in five weeks. The Preakness 2023 only attracted the derby winner Mage of the race for roses. Last year, Mytik Dan, Get freedom And Steel just were the only other derby horses that continued to Pimlico racing lessons. This year, Only American journalism and promise are left by considering a race.

The lack of participation says a lot.

THE Maryland racing commission Has previously discussions on moving the preakness, but so far that hasn't evaluated anything more than speaking. They were Considering putting the race to four weeks after derbyWhich would do it a week before Belmont. When the idea was launched publicly in 2023, the New York Racing Association said he did not intend to move his race.

The way it has always been the mentality is always won. The problem is, in reality, it has not always been done in this way.

The triple crown did not fall into its current order of Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes until 1932. This therefore means for almost the first 60 years of races, there was no continuity. Derby ran the same day as preakness or after 13 times, including a section of 1923-1931.

Changing the dates will not destroy tradition. Do not attract the best quality in the field of each race.

Reach the sports columnist CL Brown in clbrown1@gannett.comFollow him on x to @Clbrownhoops and subscribe to his newsletter at Profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest To make sure you never miss one of his columns.

This story has been updated to add a video.