Back At The Spa, Journalism Has A New Assignment

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For the third time in four years, another entry in Journalism's (Curlin) story will be written close to the corner of Union and East avenues.

In 2023, he was purchased as a yearling for $825,000 by the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Last year, with a distinctive name and a pair of Grade I wins on his resume, he finished second in the showdown of Triple Crown race winners to Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, approximately a quarter of a mile from the sales ring.

Back at the historic track on Saturday, he will tackle a very strong field, led by 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Nysos (Nyquist) in the GI Metropolitan Handicap, known to most as the Met Mile.

Aron Wellman, founder and president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, said the $1-million race that begins in the Wilson Chute has been the primary objective for Journalism since he concluded his 3-year-old campaign with a fourth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, the only time he has been out of the top three.

Journalism, trained throughout his career by Michael McCarthy, opened his 4-year-old season on April 18 with a third-place finish by 3 1/4 lengths to White Abarrio in the GII Oaklawn Park Handicap that had an unexpected race dynamic. Rather than stalking and pouncing, Journalism and Sovereignty engaged early and led the way. Journalism ended up 1 1/4 lengths behind his rival and extended his losing streak to three races.

“Very proud of his effort off the layoff,” Wellman said. “He and Sovereignty locked horns early and set legitimate fractions throughout, battled to deep inside the stretch, and got overtaken late by a deserving White Abarrio. I think it was a big-time effort on all three of their parts and we always envisioned Journalism's first outing of the year to propel him towards our main first-half-of-the-year target, which was the Met Mile. We liked the timing of the Oaklawn Park Handicap, thought he ran a very solid race, and all indications are that he will move forward off the effort.”

Journalism returned to California, worked three times at Santa Anita Park and was shipped to Saratoga on May 27. He breezed a half-mile in :49.27 on the Saturday morning with Amelia Green aboard.

Journalism with rider Marc Witkowski | Sarah Andrew

GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos and Journalism drew on either end of the seven-horse field for the Met Mile. Nysos, with jockey Flavien Prat up, will start from the rail and was deemed the 9-5 favorite on the morning line. Journalism, with Jose Ortiz in the irons, is next at 5-2 and Godolphin's homebred Knightsbridge (Nyquist), three times a winner in four starts at a mile, drew post six and is 7-2.

Wellman said there have been some changes in the colt since his eight-race 2025 season.

“He's always been a really imposing individual, so size, strength, scope, overall power is what you would expect from age three to four,” Wellman said. “I think this horse has just gone from strength to strength physically. He proved all he needed to last year on the racetrack, in terms of his talent, class and overall constitution, being able to run as frequently as he did, maintain his top-level form and travel back and forth across the country multiple times with pretty aggressive spacing between his races.”

McCarthy and his crew have observed, Wellman said, a change in the way the colt goes about his business when he is out for his morning exercise.

“The main difference that I think we've seen this year in his training is that he's just a little bit more comfortable in his own skin,” Wellman said. “He doesn't feel the need to put on a show every time he goes out and trains. He's much more mature in that respect. He's always been a very smart, sensible horse, but now I think he knows the difference between practice and game time. While he consistently goes out and presses week in and week out in his training, he's just matured in that respect, not feeling the need to show off every week.”

Just prior to his win in the GI Santa Anita Derby last year that carried him to the GI Kentucky Derby, the Coolmore partners of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith joined Eclipse, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert V. LaPenta and Elayne Stables Five in the colt. Journalism will stand at Coolmore at the conclusion of his racing career.

Rather than retire him last fall with Grade I wins in the Santa Anita Derby, Preakness and Haskell and seconds in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and the Pacific Classic, the decision was made to run again this year and try to further enhance his record for his stallion career. Though Wellman said he wanted to keep the focus on the Met Mile and not talk about the rest of the proposed schedule for the year, he acknowledged that the $2 million Stephen Foster on June 27 at Churchill Downs might be considered.

In what could be his final visit to Saratoga, Journalism will take on experienced top-quality runners with the added challenge of shortening up to eight furlongs for first time since he broke his maiden in November 2024.

“We're very interested to see how he performs on the cut back in distance,” Wellman said. “He's shown a brilliant turn of foot and the ability to change pace in longer races into presumably softer fractions. It will be very interesting to see how he's able to rise to the level of a true miler in Nysos, Antiquarian (Preservationist) and Knightsbridge, who are proven at the distance.”