Churchill, NYRA team for new 3-year-old series

In a complete shake up of the 3-year-old stakes schedule, Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing Association are teaming to provide a six-race series for 3-year-olds that will begin with the Kentucky Derby and conclude with a new race to crown a series champion.

"The Thoroughbred Championship Series will extend the excitement of the sport across a five-month season," CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen said in a news release. "The Kentucky Derby introduces millions of fans to a new generation of Thoroughbred stars each year, and this series gives those fans a reason to stay engaged with the sport's biggest stars throughout the season. By connecting these premier events through one championship, we're creating a season-long storyline that benefits the future of Thoroughbred racing."

There will be six races in a 21- or 22-week period, beginning with the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May and continuing with the Belmont Stakes five weeks later at Belmont Park, the Matt Winn Stakes at the end of the Churchill spring-summer meeting, the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes at Saratoga, and the series final at the Churchill September meeting.

"This series is designed to showcase the sport’s best 3-year-olds across a season-long championship, elevating our biggest events and creating the next generation of fans,” NYRA president David O’Rourke said in the relase. "The return of the Belmont Stakes to a newly transformed Belmont Park makes this an especially exciting moment for our sport. Together with Churchill Downs and our television partners, we are building on tradition to carry the excitement of these marquee races through the entire season."

A unified points system is designed to encourage the nation’s leading 3-year-olds to compete against one another more frequently. In addition to individual race purses, a $5 million prize pool will be awarded based on the final standings, which will also provide owners and trainers with meaningful financial incentives to remain active throughout the championship series. 

Each race will be broadcast to a national television audience. The Churchill Downs races will air on NBC, while the NYRA races will air on Fox. 

CDI and NYRA will work collaboratively on the rules, nominations process, marketing, sponsorship, wagering opportunities and television distribution for the series. Broadcast, sponsorship and commercial partnership details will be announced as agreements are finalized.

As part of this series, there will no longer be a common nominating process for the Triple Crown, which had included the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. The Maryland Jockey Club is expected to announce on Tuesday that it is moving the Preakness to three weeks after the Derby, rather than the traditional two weeks.

Given the recent trend of Derby starters not competing in the Preakness on two weeks' rest, it seems unlikely horses would compete in both the Preakness and Belmont on two weeks' rest. Connections will have to decide whether to target the Preakness or Belmont post-Derby, and the incentives related to the new CDI-NYRA series of racing could make the Belmont more attractive, even with one extra week between the Derby and Preakness.