Preakness reveals purse increase, $5M bonus pool

The purse for the Preakness Stakes will increase to $2M, up from $1.5M in 2023, and it will become part of a new three-leg series with a potential bonus payout of $5M as part of a move “designed to increase the appeal of Maryland’s signature race.” With “little apparent support for a revamped Triple Crown calendar” that would add time between the Derby and Preakness, 1/ST will dangle a $5M bonus for any horse that wins the Preakness, the Sept. 28 California Crown Stakes at Santa Anita Park and the Jan. 28, 2025, Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Florida. 1/ST CEO Belinda Stronach described the new race series at her company’s tracks as an attempt at “modernization” for the tradition-bound sport. In addition to boosting the Preakness purse, 1/ST Racing plans to increase the purse for the Dinner Party Stakes, the top turf race on the Preakness undercard, from $200,000 to $500,000 (BALTIMORE SUN, 3/1).