WATCH: Journalism's Aron Wellman On Preserving Triple Crown Tradition
When it comes to rearranging the Triple Crown schedule, Aron Wellman is leaning toward preserving tradition.
“It takes an all-time great to do it,” he said of the Triple Crown under the current five-week format.
Wellman is president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, co-owners of 2025 Preakness Stakes winner Journalism. The 3-year-old colt finished second in this year’s Kentucky Derby and is a potential contender in the June 7 Belmont Stakes. A decision on the Belmont is expected soon.
Wellman recently appeared in an episode of Gambling.com “The Edge,” discussing, among other topics, a possible rematch in the Belmont with Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby winner.
Sovereignty sat out the Preakness but is set to run in the Belmont, sparking a debate over whether the Triple Crown race dates should be spread out more to give horses time to recover.
Currently, the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness, is run two weeks after the first leg, the Kentucky Derby. The final leg, the Belmont, comes three weeks after the Preakness. That means three high-profile races are held in a five-week period. Only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown, the last being Justify in 2018.
Wellman said he has heard valid points from both sides—those who want to leave the schedule as is, and those seeking a change.
“I've heard some really good arguments that it should be four weeks in between the Derby and the Preakness and another month from the Preakness to the Belmont, which basically lands you at about the 4th of July, which there's a really compelling argument that the Belmont on the 4th of July weekend would be an incredible event,” Wellman said.
Right now, however, he is "kind of" in the camp of preserving tradition.
“That is a place in history that's reserved only for the all-time greats,” he said.
Aron Wellman Discusses The Triple Crown And More
Preakness Horses Jostle For Position
Also on “The Edge," Wellman addressed a Preakness incident that involved three horses, Journalism, Goal Oriented, and Clever Again, jostling and bumping as the race entered its final stage.
Wellman said the assumption is that track officials determined “it was Goal Oriented that was the instigator of that physicality.”
“Thankfully, everybody emerged unscathed,” he said.
2025 Triple Crown Schedule
- The Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, May 3
- The Preakness Stakes: Pimlico, Baltimore, Maryland, May 17
- The Belmont Stakes: Saratoga*, New York, June 7
*Note: This race is being held in Saratoga as work continues on a $550 million upgrade at Belmont Park in Elmont on Long Island, just east of New York City.
Get more information on Belmont Stakes betting from Gambling.com.
