By Alan Carasso
Much as he did in winning the GI Santa Anita Derby and when managing to win the GI Preakness Stakes six weeks later, Journalism (Curlin) made sure Saturday's $1-million GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes was another cliffhanger.
The athletic bay colt started slowly, but found his best stride when it appeared that the race had possibly slipped through his fingers and he crossed the wire with a half-length to spare over Preakness runner-up Gosger (Nyquist). 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time) led inside into the final furlong and held on for third. The victory earns Journalism an all-expenses-paid berth in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar this fall.
Journalism, the 2-5 jolly and owner of no fewer than the top five Beyer Speed Figures in the eight-strong field, was off only fairly from gate two beneath his regular mate Umberto Rispoli, who was already niggling at the $825,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate prior to the entry to the clubhouse turn. Up front, the slow-starting Kentucky Outlaw (Outwork) made play in advance of the local Pegasus Stakes winner Bracket Buster (Vekoma) through an opening quarter in :23.33. Goal Oriented raced prominently from third for Flavien Prat, as Rispoli attempted to allow Journalism, a last-out second to Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Belmont Stakes June 7, to find his footing.
Journalism was steered to the outside–at a slightly earlier stage than he was in the GI Kentucky Derby on May 3–and commenced a middle move down the backstretch which had him into a more challenging, albeit wide, perch from fifth by the time the Haskell field had reached the far turn. Committed at that point to an overland journey, the same one eschewed at Old Hilltop two months ago, Journalism followed the move of Gosger into the final three eighths of a mile as the gray came after Goal Oriented.
The latter, attempting to give trainer Bob Baffert a record-extending 10th victory in the summer centerpiece, floated Gosger a few paths out into the track in upper stretch and Journalism was asked for everything he had by Rispoli, still three lengths down with things looking a bit dire at the furlong grounds. Goal Oriented and Gosger continued to go at each other hammer and tong, but–almost inevitably–Journalism lengthened his stride and raced over the top of his rivals in the final 30 yards.
“He can be tactical. You can ride him from behind, you can ride him from everywhere,” said Rispoli. “But today, I think, he was most special, probably more than the Preakness.
“Today, coming out of the gate he was upset with the kickback,” the Italian continued. “Something was bothering him. He'd never been worried about the kickback before. So on the backside I decided to take him closer to Gosger, and I know the horse was going to take me wherever I want. I tried to keep him engaged going to the quarter pole. Once I pulled the stick out, he responded as a great horse. I got up in time.”
Added McCarthy: “I was a little concerned. He bounced out of the gate and broke just okay again. He was a little bit farther back than we would have like going into the first turn. Umberto pulled his stick going through the first turn and kind of gave him a slap and got him up in there.
“Up the backside he started picking off horses and he came with that long, measured run. It was long and it was steady. I looked at the wire and I looked at Journalism and I looked at the leaders (Gosger and Goal Oriented) and I'm glad we had a couple of extra jumps there to get the job done.”
A crowd of 41,876 was on hand for Saturday's program, the largest since 2015. The total handle of $21,999,962 marks the third straight year of record handle for a non Breeders' Cup event at the Oceanport oval.
Beginning To Make Headlines
Journalism was just getting warmed up at the finish of his maiden-breaking victory going a mile at Del Mar last November, and he screamed, moreso than he hinted, that he could be a force on the 2025 Triple Crown trail with an authoritative victory in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity, denying Bob Baffert an nearly incomprehensible 15th win in that contest.
Sound familiar?
Kept in the mothballs until this past March, Journalism did his best work through the line in the GII San Felipe Stakes in early March, relegating the well-regarded Barnes (Into Mischief) to second. The even-money pick in the Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby to cement his status as the left coast's best chance in the Run for the Roses, Journalism somehow found himself in a jackpot in a field with just four other rivals, but extricated himself from that trouble to defeat Baeza (McKinzie), again hitting the line powerfully.
A bettable 17-5 favorite beneath the Twin Spires, Journalism was guided out into the clear at midway and looked all over a winner turning for home in the Churchill slop after getting first run, only to be overhauled by Sovereignty (Into Mischief). With the latter having been saved for a run at the GI Belmont Stakes and forgoing a Triple Crown bid, Journalism was the warm favorite for the Preakness and sensing that his mount wasn't going all that well underneath him, Rispoli went for an inside run into the stretch, deciding against circumnavigating his rivals. Threading the needle, Journalism was bounced around violently between rivals, allowing Gosger to spurt away, but with a final-furlong flourish for the ages, he was along in the shadow of the wire.
Green-lighted for the Belmont by trainer Michael McCarthy for a fifth start in the space of 99 days, Journalism was somewhat surprisingly the 2.05-1 post-time favorite and once again got the jump on Sovereignty, but the result was even more decisive this time around, as the Godolphin runner scampered clear to score by an emphatic three lengths to stake a clear claim to the top of the sophomore class.
All things equal, a mouth-watering round three of Sovereignty v. Journalism could take place at Saratoga in the $1.25-million GI DraftKings Travers Stakes.
“He's a very special horse,” McCarthy said, adding that Journalism will return to his Southern California base on Tuesday and a decision on his next start will follow in due course.
Pedigree Notes:
Journalism's Haskell success would be tinged with at least a bit of melancholy, as his dam Mopotism, sadly passed away earlier in the week leading up to the race.
A $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida breezer, Mopotism was Grade I-placed at two, was third in the GI La Brea Stakes the following season and won the GII La Canada Stakes in 2018. Don Alberto acquired the mare for $1.05 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and she was barren to Tapit before being covered by Curlin in 2021. Mopotism's foal of 2023, the colt Nitro Tap (Tapit), fetched $1.5 million from Flying Dutchmen at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and her two youngest offspring are a yearling filly by Into Mischief and a Flightline filly foaled Apr. 30.
Saturday, Monmouth Park
NYRA BETS HASKELL S.-GI, $1,017,500, Monmouth, 7-19, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.15, ft.
1–JOURNALISM, 122, c, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Mopotism (GSW & MGISP, $876,090), by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: Peppy Rafaela, by Bernardini
3rd Dam: Peppy Lapeau, by French Deputy
($825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert V. LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 9-6-2-1, $3,798,880. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gosger, 119, c, 3, Nyquist–Gloria S, by Tapit. O/B-Harvey A Clarke Racing Stable LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $200,000.
3–Goal Oriented, 119, c, 3, Not This Time–Bizzy Caroline, by Afleet Alex. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($425,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Runnymede Farm LLC & CWC Investment 2, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $100,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 7 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 6.10, 3.50.
Also Ran: Bracket Buster, Burnham Square, National Law, Kentucky Outlaw, Wildncrazynight.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
What a performance!!! #2 JOURNALISM ($2.80) and @umbyrispoli get a perfectly timed win in the @BreedersCup WAYI $1 Million Haskell Stakes (G1) at @MonmouthPark. The three-year-old Curlin colt is now a 3x Grade 1 winner. @EclipseTBP pic.twitter.com/ldoJr7sHK9
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 19, 2025
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