Churchill Downs, NYRA team up to create a season-long horse racing championship

Cameron Drummond, Lexington Herald-Leader on Aug 4, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association are partnering for a new horse racing series that’s being billed as a season-long championship for three-year-old Thoroughbreds.

Starting in 2027, the Thoroughbred Championship Series will crown a three-year-old champion following a six-race series that will be held across three venues.

Louisville’s Churchill Downs and New York’s Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course will be the sites for the six-race series, which will be used to determine a champion three-year-old Thoroughbred. The series, which will stretch out over five months, begins with the Kentucky Derby. Next year’s Derby is set for May 1 at Churchill Downs.

In addition to the Kentucky Derby, the TCS is expected to include the following five races: The Belmont Stakes on June 5 at Belmont Park, the Matt Winn Stakes in July at Churchill, the Jim Dandy Stakes in late July or early August 2027 at Saratoga Race Course, the Travers Stakes in late August 2027 at Saratoga and a newly-created championship race in September 2027 at Churchill.

The horse that accumulates the most points during the six-race series will win the championship. In a news release, Churchill Downs and NYRA said the points system would encourage the best 3-year-old Thoroughbreds and their connections to compete against each other more frequently.

During a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen also highlighted the importance of creating storylines through a season-long racing series.

“Today’s fans experience sports differently than they did even a decade ago. They want stories that unfold over time. They want rivalries, standings and meaningful competition that builds from one event to the next,” Carstanjen said. “They want a championship they can follow throughout an entire season, and they want to see a champion crowned each year to celebrate.”

In winning the TCS, a horse will be rewarded for its consistency. A horse can become the champion even without winning a single race, Carstanjen said Monday.

“The winner will be the horse who demonstrates consistent excellence and stamina in the face of the world’s toughest competition across the six races,” Carstanjen said. “... This isn’t simply about adding another series to the calendar; It’s about connecting our greatest events into one compelling season. It’s about giving fans a reason to continue following the sport’s biggest stars beyond the Kentucky Derby, and it’s about creating meaningful incentives that encourage the nation’s leading three-year-olds to continue competing against one another throughout the summer and into the fall.”

Beginning next year, the TCS will exist alongside horse racing’s traditional Triple Crown — featuring the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes — as well as the Breeders’ Cup, which serves as horse racing’s annual World Championships.

Notably, the Preakness Stakes is not set to be part of the TCS. A date hasn’t yet been set for the 2027 edition of the Preakness Stakes. Earlier this summer, Churchill Downs attempted to acquire the intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes and the accompanying Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, but the state of Maryland instead has acquired those rights from 1/ST Racing.

The creation of the TCS could also impact the fields for other signature races featuring three-year-old Thoroughbreds.

This year’s edition of the Breeders’ Cup will be held for the fourth time at Keeneland in Lexington. Belmont Park is set to reopen in September following a multi-year renovation. The past three editions of the Belmont Stakes have been run at Saratoga while Belmont was being renovated.

There will also be a financial incentive for TCS participation. Along with individual race purses, a $5 million prize pool will be awarded based on the final standings.

David O’Rourke, the CEO and President of NYRA, also participated in Monday’s conference call and said one of the goals of the TCS is to carry the energy created by the spring’s signature races into the summer and fall. O’Rourke said a goal of the new series is to keep lifelong fans engaged while capturing the attention of a new audience for horse racing.

“This format is built on standings, a season-long chase that develops real rivalries and brings a playoff atmosphere to racing,” O’Rourke said. “... It’s a structure sports fans instantly understand.”

All six races expected to be part of the TCS will be shown on national TV. The three Churchill Downs races will be shown on NBC, and the three New York-based races will be broadcast on FOX.

Additional information about the TCS — such as the series’ eligibility rules, nominations process, points system and prize distribution — has yet to be announced.