journalism

Journalism (Curlin) has emerged from Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby victory in good form and as the 2025 GI Kentucky Derby favorite. Having recovered from trouble near the eighth pole and checking near the three-eighths, the son of Classic sire Curlin rallied down the lane to overhaul Baeza (McKinzie) and collect the coveted 100 points to the Derby. The effort garnered a 102 Beyer speed figure. "I thought he showed a lot of poise being down inside," trainer Michael McCarthy said. "He had to kind of bide his time and...

The goal of the Kentucky Derby points system should be to make sure the 20 best 3-year olds in the sport make it into the field. Churchill Downs has tweaked the system a couple of times over the years and the changes, for the most part, have been well received. It's a different story this year. Churchill has tweaked the system so that in any race with five horses or fewer the horses receive fewer points than races with six or more horses. The rule is clearly aimed at Santa...

Journalism (c, 3, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo) lived up to his billing and then some. In possibly the most anticipated Derby prep of this year, Journalism proved he was the real deal Saturday in the GI Santa Anita Derby and will go to Louisville as the GI Kentucky Derby favorite. The Santa Anita Derby rewarded points on a scale of 75-37.5-18.75 on the Road to the Derby (reduced due to a smaller field), giving Journalism 122.50 points total and a guaranteed spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. In...

Four weeks in advance of the GI Kentucky Derby, bettors made Journalism (Curlin) the mild 5-1 favorite with champion 2-year-old colt Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) the 8-1 second choice in the sixth and final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW), Churchill Downs said via a press release on Saturday afternoon. The three-day pool closed at 4 p.m. ET in advance of the three Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series races at Aqueduct, Santa Anita and Keeneland. Total handle for the three-day Apr. 3-5 KDFW pool was $483,121...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for Saturday's three GI Kentucky Derby preps--the GI Santa Anita Derby, GII Wood Memorial S. & G2 UAE Derby--and Tuesday's postponed GI Toyota Blue Grass S. GI Toyota Blue Grass S. - I'm banking on a big performance from Chancer McPatrick, who should move forward nicely off his runner-up effort while making his sophomore debut in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby. Despite just a field of seven entered, there figures to be plenty of pace (East Avenue sporting first-time blinkers, the rail-drawn...

In racing, the advent of spring doesn't just mean delightful weather and foals capering through fields. It also means a multiplication of the number of graded events across the nation. The month of March boasted more graded races in the U.S. than January and February combined. With GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks preps in full swing, top older campaigners returning from winter breaks, and 2-year-old racing just around the corner, it's an exciting time in the sport. We took a look at trends and notable items from the country's graded...

The final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which begins its three-day run Thursday and continues through Saturday, is led by 4-1 favorite Journalism (Curlin), who heads a field of 39 individual horses, in addition to "All Other 3-Year-Olds" not listed. Unlike the first five Future Wager pools, Pool 6 will close Saturday at approximately 4 p.m. ET, prior to the GII Wood Memorial, GI Blue Grass and GI Santa Anita Derby. Wagering for Pool 6 opens Thursday at noon through www.TwinSpires.com, as well as simulcast and ADW outlets...

Kentucky Derby contender Journalism (Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo) will stand at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud following his racing career, the operation announced Monday evening. In addition, Coolmore partners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith will participate with the colt's current ownership group of Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC and Robert LaPenta. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism ended his juvenile campaign with a win in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity in December and returned at three with an eye-catching victory in the Mar....

A quartet of contenders for next weekend's GI Santa Anita Derby took to the track in Arcadia to work Saturday morning: Journalism (Curlin), Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), Rodriguez (Authentic) and Baeza (McKinzie). Journalism, last-out winner of the GII San Felipe Stakes, went five furlongs in 1:01.40 (26/42) for trainer Michael McCarthy. "I let him run a little bit down the lane with a solid gallop-out," McCarthy said of the work. "He did everything we asked of him." Journalism's eye-catching victory in the San Felipe earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure,...

We've taken the plunge into the deeper end of the prep pool for the GI Kentucky Derby. Five nine-furlong stakes each awarding 100 qualifying points are scheduled over the next two Saturdays, after which this list will expand to the Top 20. 1) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief--No Joke, by Distorted Humor) 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-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history:...

Journalism (Curlin), who was the 5-1 favorite in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager which closed Mar. 16, and the well-related Baeza (McKinzie) each worked five furlongs Saturday morning ahead of their intended appearance in the GI Santa Anita Derby on Apr. 5. Journalism, a sensational first-up winner of the GII San Felipe Stakes Mar. 1, worked in the company of 2024 GI Kentucky Derby runner Endlessly (Oscar Performance) and stopped the clock in an easy 1:01.40 (18/41) under the watchful eye of trainer Michael McCarthy. "It was...

Top 3-year-old Journalism (Curlin) returned to the work tab Sunday at Santa Anita following his victory in the GII San Felipe Stakes Mar. 2. Journalism and jockey Umberto Rispoli hit the track together under darkness at about 6:30 a.m. PT. The colt, trained by Michael McCarthy, was clocked working four furlongs in :48.20. He is targeting the GI Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles Apr. 5. "Very good," McCarthy said of the drill. Rispoli reacted with a wide grin and a thumbs up. In the San Felipe, Journalism ran...