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BALTIMORE — It was a great day for Journalism. No, it was better than great. It was breathtaking as the 3-year-old colt fought through trouble and unleashed a furious rally down the stretch to win the 150th Preakness Stakes by a half-length.
The runner-up in the Kentucky Derby will likely head to Saratoga and the Belmont Stakes in three weeks for a rematch with the Derby winner Sovereignty. Bill Mott, the trainer of Sovereignty, opted to skip the Preakness because it was only two weeks after the Derby.
Journalism looked like he was beaten as he and Goal Oriented collided at the top of the stretch in tight quarters. Journalism was trying to find a hole to get through and challenge Gosger, who by that point had a five-length lead. It resulted in a post-race inquiry but there was no change in the finishing order.
Journalism finished the 1 3/16-mile race in 1 minute 55.37 seconds.
For the third time in seven years, the Kentucky Derby winner will not run in Preakness Stakes, bringing up the question of whether the races should be spread out.
“[Jockey] Umberto [Rispoli] chose to save ground,” Journalism’s trainer Michael McCarthy said. “That’s what it takes to win races like this. He found himself in a little bit of a conundrum for six or eight jumps. Thankfully he and the horses came out of it unscathed. That’s the important thing, win, lose or draw.”
Journalism has a consortium of eight ownership entities with Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbreds as the managing partner. McCarthy and Wellman are more than business partners, having known each other since they were both race track rats at Santa Anita. Wellman and Eclipse were McCarthy’s first client when he left trainer Todd Pletcher to strike out on his own and relocate to Southern California where he grew up.
“It always starts with the horse first,” Wellman said. “I just think that this victory symbolizes so much about life. It took guts for Michael McCarthy to make this call to come here. It took guts for Umberto Rispoli to get sideswiped and threading the needle and power on through. And it took guts from an incredible horse to somehow will his way to victory.”
Journalism had to overcome trouble in the Santa Anita Derby when a horse backed up on him almost causing him to stop. But, he rallied to the outside and won easily. At the time, McCarthy said his horse showed the kind of resilience that it takes to win a Triple Crown race.
How the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes unfolded on Saturday.
“I thought the Santa Anita Derby, albeit in a five-horse field, I thought he overcame a lot,” McCarthy said. “What happened [Saturday] is almost surreal. You don’t see that happen. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. … I think he showed today he’s a gift from above.”
It was the second Preakness win for McCarthy, who won in 2021 with Rombauer.
Journalism was a little fractious in the post parade and even knocked down his groom at one point.
“I got a little bit anxious obviously in the post parade,” McCarthy said. “He was on his toes a little bit. Something had him a little bit irritated. We were having a hard time getting the halter off him. I’m glad he was amenable to getting away from the crowd and getting over to the backside and being able to warm up.”
Rispoli became the first Italian jockey to win a Triple Crown race.
“When I crossed the wire, it looked like a flash of 20 years of my career went to my head,” Rispoli said. “It’s even difficult to describe the feeling when you cross the wire in those races.
“But listen, I’m proud of this and for my country, races don’t [always] go very well, but I’m glad I keep my flags up and I wish everybody over there is proud of me.”
Journalism wasn’t the only Santa Anita-based horse in the race. Goal Oriented, trained by eight-time Preakness winner Bob Baffert, finished fourth.
“He didn’t get to run his race,” Baffert said. “I wanted to see him on the lead. Maybe he would have stopped, I don’t know. He is lightly raced. He ran well but he is still green.
“The best horse won. I have seen [Journalism] do it all winter long and he is a remarkable horse. I saw him at Santa Anita and get in trouble and then come running. That is a really good horse.”
Gosger was second followed by Sandman, Goal Oriented, Heart of Honor, River Thames, Pay Billy, American Promise and Clever Again. Journalism went off at even money and paid $4 to win.
It marked the 21st consecutive Triple Crown race without a repeat winner. The last one to win more than one was Justify in 2018 when he won the Triple Crown. Of course, the Triple Crown is only for 3-year-olds, so there is a new set of horses every year.
Check out the top storylines to watch during the Preakness Stakes, including a look at favorites with Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty out.
It was also the last Preakness at Pimlico Race Course as it is currently configured. It will undergo a massive rebuild starting almost immediately. The track, originally built in 1870, has not had a significant renovation since 1960. In 1966, a fire burned down the old clubhouse. The Preakness will be run at nearby Laurel Park for at least two years.
“It’s a little bit strange,” McCarthy said. “I actually won the last El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Not sure if there is a pattern there or not.”
It’s not completely certain that Journalism will go to New York for the Belmont. The horse has to come out of the race in good shape and that might not be known for a few days and a decision might not come for two weeks.
“We would love to go,” Wellman said. “I think this ownership group, Eclipse on down, has made it very clear we take this very seriously and we want to be good ambassadors for the industry and the sport at large.”
But as Pimlico becomes a memory for the next couple years, all the attention will be focused on the Belmont Stakes and what could possibly be a highly anticipated rematch between Journalism and Sovereignty.
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