Topline
An official with the Preakness Stakes said Tuesday he was informed that Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not participate in the upcoming second leg of the Triple Crown, marking the seventh-straight year there will not be a Triple Crown winner.
Sovereignty jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates winning the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on May … More
Key Facts
Mike Rogers, executive vice president of 1/ST Racing, the lead operator of the Preakness, said in a statement that Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott, informed him the horse would skip the Preakness to focus on the Belmont Stakes.
Mott at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday alluded to passing on the Preakness, telling reporters, “We want to do what’s best for the horse,” adding “you always think about a Triple Crown, and that’s not something we’re not going to think about.”
The Preakness is scheduled for May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore while the Belmont Stakes is slated for June 7 at Belmont Park in New York.
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How Many Horses Have Won The Triple Crown?
Just 13 horses have won the Triple Crown, which is achieved by winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Only two horses, Justify (2018) and American Pharoah (2015), have secured the distinction since 1978.
What To Watch For
Journalism and Baeza, who placed second and third at the Kentucky Derby, respectively, are not yet confirmed to be racing in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
