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HomeHorse Racing IndustryTitle: Preakness Stakes Sees Lowest Ratings Since 1995 Amid Triple Crown Absence LOUISVILLE,...

Title: Preakness Stakes Sees Lowest Ratings Since 1995 Amid Triple Crown Absence

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Preakness Stakes delivered a stirring finish on Saturday — but not a strong television rating. With Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty skipping the second leg of the Triple Crown, NBC’s race segment averaged just 4.56 million viewers, its lowest Preakness audience since 1995, excluding the pandemic-disrupted 2020 edition.

That’s a 16% drop from last year, when Seize the Grey’s win over Derby winner Mystik Dan brought in 5.47 million viewers. The audience did peak at 5.9 million during this year’s race, but it’s clear that when a Triple Crown bid disappears, so does much of the viewing audience.

The Triple Crown isn’t just three races — it’s supposed to be one storyline. When that arc breaks after one chapter, it’s a tough sell. Even a compelling horse like Journalism, who could run in the Belmont Stakes as a primary challenger to Sovereignty, couldn’t move the needle. And not even Pimlico’s swan song before a major renovation could boost the buzz.

The Kentucky Derby’s audience peaked at 21.8 million for the race segmented and the overall broadcast averaged 17.7 million viewers for NBC two weeks ago.

Alvarado could see crop fine reduced

The winning jockey in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Junior Alvarado, was hit with a $62,000 fine and two-day suspension for violating the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s riding crop rule — specifically, striking Sovereignty eight times, two over the six-strike limit.

But the size of that fine may not hold, according to BloodHorse.com. Alvarado has appealed, and under a pending HISA rule change, his prior violation — logged Dec. 1 — may fall outside a shortened repeat-offense window. If that rule is approved by the FTC, HISA CEO Lisa Lazurus says the body likely would impose the smaller fine.

According to HISA records, Alvarado has nine violations under its riding crop rules since 2022.

HISA report adds new detail to horse deaths, as training fatalities rise

For the first time, HISA has begun publicly classifying equine fatalities by cause — breaking them down into musculoskeletal injuries, sudden deaths, and other trauma — in an effort to better understand and prevent catastrophic injuries in horse racing.

The change was part of HISA’s latest quarterly safety report, which also showed a slight increase in training-related horse deaths during the first three months of 2025. A total of 51 horses died in training, up from 47 in the same period last year.

Despite new tools and expanding data, HISA continues to face challenges in analyzing training environments, which are harder to monitor, less standardized, and still responsible for a significant share of fatalities.

In Kentucky, nine training-related deaths were reported across four tracks, including Turfway Park, Keeneland, and the Churchill Downs Training Center.

Title: Preakness Stakes Sees Lowest Ratings Since 1995 Amid Triple Crown Absence LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Preakness Stakes delivered a stirring finish on Saturday — but not a strong television rating. With Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty skipping the second leg of the Triple Crown, NBC’s race segment averaged just 4.56 million viewers, its lowest Preakness audience since 1995, excluding the pandemic-disrupted 2020 edition. That’s a 16% drop from last year, when Seize the Grey’s win over Derby winner Mystik Dan brought in 5.47 million viewers. The audience did peak at 5.9 million during this year’s race, but it’s clear that when a Triple Crown bid disappears, so does much of the viewing audience. The Triple Crown isn’t just three races — it’s supposed to be one storyline. When that arc breaks after one chapter, it’s a tough sell. Even a compelling horse like Journalism, who could run in the Belmont Stakes as a primary challenger to Sovereignty, couldn’t move the needle. And not even Pimlico’s swan song before a major renovation could boost the buzz. The Kentucky Derby’s audience peaked at 21.8 million for the race segmented and the overall broadcast averaged 17.7 million viewers for NBC two weeks ago. Alvarado could see crop fine reduced The winning jockey in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Junior Alvarado, was hit with a ,000 fine and two-day suspension for violating the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s riding crop rule — specifically, striking Sovereignty eight times, two over the six-strike limit. But the size of that fine may not hold, according to BloodHorse.com. Alvarado has appealed, and under a pending HISA rule change, his prior violation — logged Dec. 1 — may fall outside a shortened repeat-offense window. If that rule is approved by the FTC, HISA CEO Lisa Lazurus says the body likely would impose the smaller fine. According to HISA records, Alvarado has nine violations under its riding crop rules since 2022. HISA report adds new detail to horse deaths, as training fatalities rise For the first time, HISA has begun publicly classifying equine fatalities by cause — breaking them down into musculoskeletal injuries, sudden deaths, and other trauma — in an effort to better understand and prevent catastrophic injuries in horse racing. The change was part of HISA’s latest quarterly safety report, which also showed a slight increase in training-related horse deaths during the first three months of 2025. A total of 51 horses died in training, up from 47 in the same period last year. Despite new tools and expanding data, HISA continues to face challenges in analyzing training environments, which are harder to monitor, less standardized, and still responsible for a significant share of fatalities. In Kentucky, nine training-related deaths were reported across four tracks, including Turfway Park, Keeneland, and the Churchill Downs Training Center.

The Preakness Stakes experienced a disappointing television rating this year, averaging just 4.56 million viewers, the lowest since 1995, excluding the pandemic year of 2020. This marks a 16% decline from last year’s audience of 5.47 million, largely attributed to the absence of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, which diminished the excitement surrounding the Triple Crown storyline. Despite a peak viewership of 5.9 million during the race, the lack of a compelling narrative significantly impacted audience engagement.

In related news, Junior Alvarado, the winning jockey of the Kentucky Derby, faces a $62,000 fine and a two-day suspension for violating riding crop rules. He struck Sovereignty eight times, exceeding the allowed limit. However, Alvarado is appealing the fine, and a potential rule change could reduce his penalty, as his previous violations may not count under the new guidelines.

Additionally, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has begun classifying equine fatalities by cause in an effort to improve safety in horse racing. Their latest report indicated a slight rise in training-related horse deaths, with 51 fatalities reported in the first quarter of 2025, up from 47 the previous year. This increase highlights ongoing challenges in monitoring training environments, which contribute significantly to horse fatalities.

Source:
www.wdrb.com
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Title: Excitement Builds for Canterbury Park’s 31st Racing Season Opening on May 24

Entries for the first three days of Canterbury Park’s 51-day season were robust as horses, trainers, stable workers, and jockeys arrive from across the country. The 31st season of horse racing at Canterbury Park begins May 24 at 5 p.m. CT with an eight-race program.

Seven races are scheduled for May 25 and May 26—Memorial Day Monday—each beginning at 1 p.m.

"It’s great to welcome everyone back for another live racing season," said Amber Carlisle, Canterbury Park’s senior manager of racing operations. "Our horsepeople love it here, so everyone is happy to return. They show up enthusiastic, optimistic, and with smiles on their faces. Canterbury Park is also welcoming several new outfits to our racetrack. We are excited for them to experience everything Canterbury Park has to offer—from our hospitable racing program to our backside benevolence programs to our new barns, new dorms, and new permanent RV park."

A total of 186 horses were entered by 42 trainers for average entries of 8.45 per race. (Scratches could diminish these figures.) Last season, the average field size was 7.36 starters per race, a 13% increase over 2023. Field size often dictates handle, the amount of money wagered. In 2024, the handle per race increased by 12%.

"Again this year, we had more stall requests for horses than we can hold, which is always an encouraging sign," Carlisle said. "Additionally, with big fields for opening weekend, we know trainers and horses came here ready to race. The jockey colony this year is large and deep in talent, leaving everyone in anticipation of an exciting and competitive live racing season."

Perennial leading trainer Mac Robertson has returned with a large stable seeking his 17th title. Robertson is Canterbury’s all-time leader in purses earned, wins, and other metrics.

Jockey Harry Hernandez won the riding title in 2022 and 2023, his only two seasons at Canterbury, but opted to ride elsewhere last year. Hernandez has returned this spring and is named on 13 mounts Saturday and Sunday.

"I feel happy here, I feel motivated," Hernandez said. "The people here give me an opportunity. They respect me, and I give respect to everyone. This is a great place for me."

On Monday, he will be out of town riding Heroic Move in the Steve Sexton Mile (G3), a $400,000 stake at Lone Star Park in Texas.

The top two riders from last season, Luis Fuentes and Serafin Carmona, have not returned, leaving a wide-open competition for top jockey. A total of 22 riders have mounts this weekend, including Guillermo Rodriguez, who rides the entire card over the first two days and five of the seven races on Monday.

By The Numbers

Saturday: 68 horses representing 28 trainers; 21 jockeys have mounts
Sunday: 64 (plus three also-eligible) horses representing 31 trainers; 19 jockeys have mounts
Monday: 51 horses representing 29 trainers; 20 jockeys have mounts
Totals: 186 horses, 42 unique trainers, and 22 unique jockeys
Nine of the 22 races will be run on the turf course and 13 on the main track.

Free Past Performances Over The Meet

Canterbury Park is providing free Brisnet past performances for all 51 days of the season. PPs can be downloaded online.

Pick 5 With 10% Takeout Returns

The wagering menu will again include a 50-cent Pick 5 with a 10% takeout beginning in the second race each day. The 10% takeout rate is the lowest in North American racing. Last season’s highest-paying Pick 5 was $35,735.40 on a 50-cent wager.

This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.

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