Triple Crown 2017: Schedule for Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes
The 2017 Triple Crown will get underway on Saturday at Churchill Downs with the running of the 143rd Kentucky Derby.
With the 2017 Kentucky Derby set for Saturday evening, the greatest time of the year in horse racing is nearly upon us.
Twenty competitors in Saturday’s race will begin their journey in the 2017 Triple Crown, which includes the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. All three contests are among the most prestigious events both in horse racing and American sports as a whole, with a combined purse of $5 million.
Winning the Triple Crown has been a rare feat, as only 12 horses have ever taken all three legs in the same year since the Kentucky Derby was inaugurated in 1875. Two years ago, American Pharoah became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978 , and closed off his memorable run with a dominating performance in the Belmont Stakes.
The 2017 Triple Crown will span over a month, with the full schedule and post times for all three races listed below:
Kentucky Derby: Saturday, May 6 6:34 p.m. ET
Preakness Stakes: Saturday, May 20 6:45 p.m. ET
Belmont Stakes: Saturday, June 10 6:37 p.m. ET
Dubbed “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” the Kentucky Derby is the most anticipated annual event in horse racing and features a $2 million purse. Classic Empire is the morning line favorite at 4-1, with Always Dreaming, McCraken and Irish War Cry right behind, but the Kentucky Derby can often produce unpredictable results.
Two weeks later, the Preakness Stakes will follow from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The second jewel of the Triple Crown is a 9.5-furlong race, offers a purse of $1.5 million, and will almost certainly feature a number of top finishers from the Kentucky Derby.
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Elmont, New York will host the final leg of the Triple Crown three weeks later with the Belmont Stakes, which will garner plenty of attention should any individual horse win the first two events. The 1 1/2 mile contest is the longest Triple Crown race by far and typically attracts a number of more well-rested competitors that chose not to participate in the first two legs.