The Preakness Stakes, in a bid to maintain its relevance amid the changing landscape of thoroughbred racing, will move its traditional date back eight days, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced Wednesday. The schedule shift is aimed at ensuring the Kentucky Derby winner is in the field in Baltimore for the second leg of racing’s Triple Crown.Moore’s announcement came two days after Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association announced the creation of a six-race series that included the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes but notably left out the Preakness.Maryland leaders hope the date change – making for a 22-day gap from the Kentucky Derby instead of the traditional two weeks – will incentivize Derby winners to stay in the chase for the Triple Crown, which concludes with the Belmont Stakes less than two weeks later. In six of the past eight years, Derby winners, including 2026 champion Golden Tempo, have skipped the Preakness, with trainers citing health concerns for their horses because of the tight turnaround.The trend has raised questions about the future relevance of the Triple Crown, which NYRA, which operates the Belmont, and Churchill Downs, which owns the Derby, cited in their move earlier this week. Maryland leaders hope the date change will further allay those concerns.