Donna Barton Brothers To Make Final NBC Showing at Preakness

Donna Barton Brothers will make her final NBC appearance at Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park, capping a 26-year run on the Triple Crown trail after Louisville marked her Derby weekend contribution with an official city honour.

Final Triple Crown Assignment Now in View For Barton Brothers

The Daily Racing Form reported on 28 April that Brothers (60) will retire after this year’s Preakness, bringing her NBC run to a close after more than two decades on the sport’s biggest broadcast days.

With the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park will be her last NBC appearance on Saturday May 16.

In the same interview, Brothers said broadcasting truly clicked once she began reporting from horseback, letting the former jockey bring race-day instincts into a second career.

This year’s Preakness will also be staged at Laurel Park, Maryland – with its normal home (Pimlico) currently under refurbishment.

The Preakness Stakes betting odds see the Chad Brown runner Iron Honor as one of the market leaders – as the barn look to win the Triple Crown race for a third time.

“It’s been 26 years, and it has been such a fun ride and I’m very grateful for every bit of it,” Barton Brothers said. “But I turned 60 this year, and 60 seemed like a nice round number.”

pic.twitter.com/sVkvRPya7x

— Donna Brothers (@DonnaBBrothers) May 13, 2026

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Louisville Barton Brothers Tribute Adds a Fresh Chapter

Earlier this year, the Paulick Report reported that Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg proclaimed 11 May as Donna Barton Brothers Day after her 26th and final Kentucky Derby broadcast.

Greenberg called Brothers and trainer Cherie DeVaux figures who have helped build the sport and can help lead it into the next generation.

Brothers said at the Louisville event that she had claimed the city as her own when she bought her first home there in 1996 and thanked Louisville for claiming her back.

She had also joined DeVaux on the Derby walkover and selected Golden Tempo as her NBC pick before the colt won under Jose Ortiz.

Donna Barton Brothers Thanks Charlsie Cantey

On a recent conference call, Donna Barton Brothers took a moment to single out Charlsie Cantey, thanking her for being such a vital role model.

It’s a fitting tribute, considering Cantey paved the way in a very similar role back during ABC’s racing coverage in the ‘90s.

“I never thought I would have the privilege and the honor to follow in her footsteps,” Barton Brothers admitted.

The praise didn’t just flow one way, though.

Mike Tirico-NBC’s lead voice and the anchor for the Derby broadcast-was quick to highlight Barton Brothers’ own impact, thanking her for her years of dedication and noting that she has truly become an icon in the industry.

“It’s rare you get to work with someone who comes to define a role in sports television,” Tirico said, “and Donna has done that.”

Looking ahead, NBC is set to air the Preakness Stakes on May 16, the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

However, the scene will shift for the final leg, as FOX Sports takes over the broadcast for the Belmont Stakes.

A Rider’s Perspective That Changed the Coverage

Paulick’s NBC tribute noted that Brothers rode in more than 9,000 races from 1987 to 1998, winning 1,130 times, including six graded stakes, before beginning her broadcasting career in 1999 and joining NBC’s horse racing coverage in 2000.

Brothers helped make the immediate horseback interview part of the Triple Crown rhythm, bringing a jockey’s viewpoint to viewers while meeting riders in the first moments after the finish.