If the reporting proves accurate, Journalism ships from Southern California to the Jersey Shore this week ready to make more headlines Saturday at Monmouth Park in the $1 million Haskell Stakes.
Journalism’s connections said last week that the colt’s first start since the Belmont Stakes on June 7 at Saratoga would come in the Haskell, provided Journalism worked to his high standards over the weekend. He did, and on Tuesday drew post 2 when entries were taken for the Haskell, a 1 1/8-mile Grade 1. Journalism broke from post 7 in the Belmont and in the Kentucky Derby, and from posts 1 and 2 in his three other races this year. He started from post 2 in the Preakness, which Journalism won by a half-length despite running into severe traffic trouble at the head of the homestretch.
“He’s drawn down inside multiple times,” trainer Michael McCarthy said, reached Tuesday by phone. “It’s a position we’re fine with. With his style, if it’s dictated, he can bounce out of there and lay close enough.”
Umberto Rispoli, aboard for seven of Journalism’s eight starts and all his races this year, including wins in the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby, was named to ride. Monmouth’s morning line lists Journalism as the 4-5 favorite in a field of eight.
The Haskell is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, its winner earning automatic, fees-paid entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic. While that race stands as an autumn goal for Journalism, McCarthy declined to name specific interim targets following the Haskell, nor was he willing to say whether Journalism could remain on the East Coast after Saturday’s contest.
“Right now, the focus is entirely on Saturday,” McCarthy said.
Journalism boarded a Tuesday flight from Los Angeles to Newark International Airport, an uncomplicated ship for a horse who already this year has traveled from California to Kentucky, where he finished second to Sovereignty in the Derby, before going on to Pimlico in Baltimore and Saratoga.
The rest of the Haskell field, from the rail out, includes Bracket Buster (John Velazquez to ride), winner last out of the Pegasus at Monmouth, the local prep for the Haskell; 30-1 morning-line price Wildncrazynight (Isaac Castillo); Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr.), a troubled sixth in the Derby and second last month in the Matt Winn at Churchill; National Law (Irad Ortiz Jr.), another longshot; Gosger (Luis Saez), who races for the first time since Journalism nailed him just before the Preakness finish; Kentucky Outlaw (Florent Geroux); and Goal Oriented (Flavien Prat), set as the 4-1 second choice on the line. Goal Oriented also shipped from California; his trainer, Bob Baffert, has won the Haskell a record nine times.
The television network NBC will cover the Haskell in a one-hour broadcast between 5-6 p.m. Eastern. The race is the last of six stakes Saturday at Monmouth, five graded, worth $1.9 million in total, and immediately follows the Grade 2, $600,000 United Nations, a 1 3/8-mile grass race.
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