Major Horse Racing Schedule

A major horse racing calendar helps you choose the dates to follow across the season. Start with the upcoming list, narrow it by month or race grade, and open an event for its announced venue and edition. Earlier dates appear separately so you can distinguish a future visit from a race day that has already passed.

Follow the Triple Crown and championship calendar

The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are the three races of the American Triple Crown. They are separate races, each with its own race day and supporting card. Championship festivals bring several feature races together. When comparing plans, check the year beside each date and the venue on that edition’s page, especially for events whose host track can change.

Understand race grades and event types

Grade 1 is the highest American graded-stakes classification, followed by Grade 2 and Grade 3. Grades describe the relative quality of races; they are not a measure of how many days an event lasts. The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s graded-stakes committee reviews classifications annually. Here, “Championship” is an event-type filter for a festival, rather than another official race grade. Use it to find the festival’s dates, then open its individual races.

Move from an event date to a race time

A meet is a season of racing at a track; a race day contains several numbered races. A major race can be one part of that day. The month filter includes events that continue into your selected month, even when they start in the previous month. Open the event, follow the track or meet link, and choose a race to see its published post time. A television program may begin earlier than that race and include coverage from other venues.