Sovereignty Skips Preakness: When Was The Last Triple Crown Winner?

There will be no Triple Crown winner for the seventh consecutive year.

“We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,” said Mike Rogers, executive VP of 1/ST Racing, which operates Pimlico. “We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision. We continue to see the excitement building toward the milestone celebration of the 150th Preakness Stakes, and we look forward to an incredible weekend of world-class racing and entertainment.”

Sovereignty won the 2025 Kentucky Derby on May 3. One day later, Mott teased the idea of Sovereignty skipping the Preakness to focus on the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, on June 7.

Today, Mott’s foreshadowing came true, as the trainer decided it wasn’t in the horse’s best interest to run only two weeks after the Derby.

Sovereignty will instead race at the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.

The Preakness could also be missing the Derby’s second-place finisher, Journalism, and third-place finisher, Baeza. Neither horse’s owners have declared for the second leg of the Triple Crown.

The 2025 Preakness will be the last at Pimlico Race Course before it’s rebuilt.

When Was The Last Triple Crown Winner?

The quest for the next Triple Crown winner moves to 2026.

Justify in 2018 remains the last horse to win all three races.

The Derby winner opting out of Preakness is now a concerning trend.

This becomes the fifth time since Justify’s win that the Preakness will not have the Kentucky Derby winner.

Mike Repole, a prolific racehorse owner, suggests that horse racing should put the Belmont as the second leg in the Triple Crown four weeks after the Derby. Then, Repole suggests waiting four more weeks after the Belmont to run the Preakness.

The 2025 Preakness Stakes is set for May 17.