Kentucky Derby Will Be Moved to Labor Day Weekend

The 2020 Kentucky Derby is the latest sporting event that is moving due to the Covid-19 virus. A formal announcement from Churchill Downs was scheduled for March 17th, but multiple sources were saying on March 16th that the horse race that is normally run on the first Saturday in May (May 2nd in 2020) will be moved to Labor Day weekend, specifically, Saturday September 5th. The last time the Derby was run in a month other than May was June 9th, 1945.

The Kentucky Derby is of course, the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, with the Preakness and Belmont Stakes following within a month or so. This year’s Preakness is scheduled for Saturday May 16th, while Belmont is scheduled for June 6th.There’s no word yet on if the other two races will be moved, but with the CDC recommending the cancellation of events with more than 50 people for the next eight weeks, the Preakness could be in jeopardy. So if that was moved, would the Belmont Stakes follow? Would they have the Triple Crown races in order, but in September and October? Would they run them out of order? No word yet on the fate of the other two races.

Here’s the 2018 Kentucky Derby, won by Justify on his way to winning the Triple Crown: