May 9, 2024
LOUISVILLE — By Ed DeRosa
The Kentucky Derby is over… now what?
The great thing about horse racing if you love horse racing as much as I do, is it never stops.
Even during Covid, horse racing was the only sport in North America that never missed a day. Want to keep betting after the Kentucky Derby? Tracks in West Virginia and Louisiana have you covered.
Of course, there’s no substitute from the best horses throwing down against each other in the biggest races, and there is plenty of that to come following this year’s thrilling renewal of the Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs.
The Triple Crown series continues with the Preakness Stakes on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course, and this race is expected to feature a rematch between the top three finishers in the Arkansas Derby with winner Muth showing up after missing the Kentucky Derby.
Arkansas Derby third-place finisher Mystik Dan went on to win the Kentucky Derby. Arkansas Derby runner-up Just Steel disappointed in the Derby, but Racing Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is not letting that stop him for taking another crack at Muth.
Similar to the Derby, the Preakness anchors a two-day racing extravaganza with a race for three-year-old fillies the Preakness eve feature with plenty of other stakes races throughout the two days.
The Triple Crown concludes three weeks later with the Belmont Stakes, which this year will be held for the first time ever at Saratoga Race Course while the New York Racing Association rebuilds Belmont Park.
Because of the change, the Test of the Champion will be run at the Kentucky Derby and Travers Stakes distance of 1 ¼ miles. All the other big races from Belmont weekend are making the trip to Saratoga as well, making June 6-8 in Upstate New York the premiere late spring racing extravaganza.
Speaking of the Belmont, if you’re jonesing to see some top three-year-olds before the Preakness, then Aqueduct on May 11 is for you. The Peter Pan Stakes for three-year-olds features several horses prepping for a potential Belmont Stakes start where they would face horses from the Derby and Preakness among other new shooters.
Once we get past the American Triple Crown series, the Canadian version starts to take focus with prep races for the King’s Plate in August at Woodbine taking place throughout the early summer.
The post Triple Crown stakes races in the States also start the roads to various Breeders’ Cup races. This year’s World Championships is Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club near San Diego, and there are “Win And You’re In” races in all major divisions throughout summer and early fall, including at Woodbine with the Mile card in September.
