Trainer Brittany Russell could become the first woman to win the Preakness Stakes after the race on Saturday, May 16, 2026 [4].
This potential victory represents a significant milestone for gender parity in horse racing. While women have recently broken barriers in other Triple Crown races, the Preakness has remained without a female winning trainer for its entire history.
Russell will enter the race at Laurel Park in Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, riding the horse Taj Mahal [1]. The couple's partnership brings a unique family dynamic to one of the most prestigious events in the sport. Sheldon Russell has previously had three career Preakness mounts [2].
Brittany Russell's bid for history comes amid a broader trend of female trainers achieving top-tier success. Recent breakthroughs include Cherie DeVaux winning the Kentucky Derby and Jenna Antonucci securing a victory at the Belmont Stakes [3]. These wins have created a realistic path for Russell to achieve a similar feat at the second leg of the Triple Crown.
If successful, Russell would be the first female trainer to win the race in its 151-year history [1]. The achievement would mark a definitive shift in the leadership of the sport's highest levels.
While Taj Mahal seeks a historic win, the race also carries long-standing statistical hurdles. For example, no horse has broken its maiden in the Preakness since 1888 [3].
“Brittany Russell could become the first female trainer to win the Preakness in its 151-year history”
The potential victory of Brittany Russell would complete a cycle of breakthroughs for women in the Triple Crown series. With female trainers already winning the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, a Preakness win would signal that the gender gap in elite Thoroughbred training has effectively closed across all three major American classics.
