Michael McCarthy

A daughter of Gun Runner won Sunday's Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita going one mile on the dirt, but it wasn't the one everyone expected. Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners maiden winner Meaning (f, 3, Gun Runner--Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief), fourth behind Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Super Corredora (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, bested not only Super Corredora, but also GII Oak Leaf Stakes winner and Juvenile Fillies runner-up Explora (Blame), the lone 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' in the field,...

Rolling like an express train late, Yellow Card (Lost Treasure {Ire}) gave his connections an emotional victory to kick off his 2026 campaign in the Clocker's Corner Stakes. A runner-up in the GII Eddie D Stakes three back Sept. 27 at this venue, the Michael McCarthy trainee missed the board in his last two jumps for that season--namely, the Stormy Liberal Stakes at Del Mar where he ran fifth and last out Dec. 29 when he finished sixth in the GII Joe Hernandez Stakes. Sent off here at 3-1 odds,...

Journalism (Curlin), last year's GI Preakness S., GI Santa Anita Derby and GI NYRA Bets Haskell S. winner, is back home at Santa Anita after receiving a winter break at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Florida. He jogged on the main track for the first time Saturday morning. "It seemed like the ship went fine--he's full of himself," trainer Michael McCarthy said. "Happy he's back." McCarthy added, "He'll start galloping here in a few days get back in his routine." Under consideration as a major goal for Journalism the first half...

Heavily favored Queen Maxima added a third graded stakes to her resume and continued her dominance of the downhill turf course at Santa Anita with a professional victory in the GIII Las Cienegas Stakes Sunday. The chestnut mare, now a winner of eight of 13 lifetime starts--and five of six at Santa Anita--broke alertly and took up a stalking position in second behind pacesetting Princesa Moche. The duo remained one-two until turning into the stretch and passing the dirt crossing when Queen Maxima surged ahead, ultimately beating that stubborn rival...

8th-Churchill Downs, $117,975, Msw, 11-22, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:19.17, sy, 3/4 length. MARJORAM (f, 2, Quality Road--Cardamon, by Pioneerof the Nile), a Juddmonte homebred and full-sibling to this summer's GIII Mahony Stakes winner Spiced Up, debuted Saturday at 3-1 under Louisville's twin spires. The bay juvenile was a joint and distant last through the :22.68 first quarter, rushed up to fourth going into the far turn, continued to advance as the clock stopped in :46.25 for the half, and swung wide to take command down the lane. Frontrunner Kayla's...

Appearing to relish the muddy going at Churchill Downs on Thursday, Theodore George (Curlin—Sweet Tapper, by Tapit) came from off the pace to graduate with a confident 2 ¼-length victory over Cant Stop Munnings (Munnings). Theodore George was seventh in his career debut going 8 1/2 furlongs on the turf here on Nov. 1, was given an 8-1 chance while getting blinkers on for this off-the-turf return. Pinched back at the start, the chestnut settled in a stalking fifth going around the first turn as Bessamay (Oscar Performance) led through...

Journalism (Curlin) who took three Grade I races during his 3-year-old season, will not be retired to stud at Coolmore America just yet, but will instead resume training for a 2026 campaign, according to co-owner Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbreds. "We are thrilled to announce that Journalism will be returning to race next season," said Wellman in an email. "Coolmore have been wonderful partners and sportsmen as it relates to arriving at this collective decision on Journalism's future and we all share in the belief that Journalism is bred, built...

The World Championships concluded Saturday with sterling efforts and drama abound, and the connections of the newly crowned took Sunday morning to provide updates on their charges as they look ahead. Trainer Michael McCarthy reported that all six of his Breeders' Cup horses came out of their races in good order, and plans for MGISW Journalism (Curlin)--whether to continue racing or retirement--will be finalized in the coming week. The colt finished fourth in the Classic under new rider Jose Ortiz. "This is more or less what we've seen from him...

It looked like a close contest on paper, and in the end, the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile turned into one of those events where it deserved no loser, but there had to be one. The juvenile champion of 2024, Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) set 'supersonic' splits early (as Larry Collmus called them at one point), and ran the race of his life, but it was stablemate Nysos (Nyquist) who ultimately played the spoiler as he nailed the photo to win the Dirt Mile in one of the closest finishes...

DEL MAR, Calif. - All of the heavy lifting has been done and Breeders' Cup 42 is finally here. Who has looked the best during training hours this week at Del Mar? Starting at the top with the Classic. Journalism (Curlin) (Michael McCarthy) has been training like he owns the place in the pre-dawn hours while the Classic's defending winner and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) (Chad Brown) has served notice after the break. Both cover a ton of ground and have been getting over...

DEL MAR, CA - A swing through the course of American Thoroughbred history yields the widely-accepted conclusion that dirt plays the king in these parts, while turf is the patient understudy offstage left--turns are configured in that direction over here. It was not all that long ago that droves of U.S. tracks debated whether putting in a bladed surface and acquiring something called a going stick made any sense. Progressive places like Del Mar's Thoroughbred Club damned the salt in the marine layer and forged ahead with its first course...

Hoping that his start in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be a memorable one, MGISW Journalism (Curlin) worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 at Del Mar Sunday morning. With Jose Ortiz in the irons and working with stablemate Legitimate (Authentic), the three-time Grade I winner was last seen finishing second in the GI Pacific Classic on Aug. 30. Both colts are trained by Michael McCarthy. "We were just looking for a maintenance work this morning," said McCarthy. "I think we got that accomplished. I loved the way he galloped...