This year has been a doozy for people and nations around the globe, so it comes as no surprise that the horse racing world has been thrown for a loop, too. Among the most visible changes are those surrounding this year’s Triple Crown, the coveted title that just 13 equines in all of history can claim.

Here are the five biggest ways the 2020 Triple Crown is different from years past:

1. Out of Order

Instead of kicking off with the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on the first Saturday in May and continuing with the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, the 2020 Triple Crown launches next Saturday, June 20, with the Belmont Stakes. It’s the first time in the series’ history that the Belmont has been the first of the three to be contested. The Derby is next, and the Preakness wraps up the series in October.

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2. Spacing Out

One might say the races are keeping their social distance from one another, as the three races are spread over 15 weeks this year when they usually fit into a five-week timetable. The Belmont is followed 11 weeks later by the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5, and the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes concludes the series four weeks after that. Three races in five weeks is ordinarily one of the biggest challenges of the Triple Crown, but this year we’ll see a new challenge for the horses: maintaining top form over such a large timespan.

3. A Summertime Tradition?

The Kentucky Derby is one of springtime’s finest traditions, with the Preakness and Belmont nearly as cherished. This year that is not the case as the series begins on the first day of summer and concludes in early fall. While there’s no guarantee of perfect weather on the first Saturday in May, springtime is usually mild and we’re all crossing our fingers that the first Saturday in September doesn’t bring the stifling heat and humidity often present on Labor Day weekend in Kentucky.

4. The “Test of the Champion” Just Got Easier

The Belmont Stakes is known as the Test of the Champion thanks to its grueling 1 ½-mile distance and the fact that it comes at the end of a difficult trio of races. The 2020 test won’t be quite as tough, as it has been shortened to 1 1/8 miles and will be the first race in several weeks for most of the competitors.

5. No Cheering Section

This year’s Triple Crown might have the ambience of a golf tournament as the horses thunder for home in front of an eerily quiet grandstand. The Belmont Stakes is being contested without fans present due to COVID-19 restrictions, and it’s possible the crowds for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness will be limited or non-existent. We can’t be sure if the horses will notice the silence, but the jockeys, trainers, and owners definitely will.