BALTIMORE – Journalism gets a do-over before Pimlico gets its makeover.
Journalism, second to Sovereignty as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago at Churchill Downs, gets a second chance to win a classic race when he starts as an even stronger favorite in Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes. This will be the last Preakness run at Pimlico before the grandstand is torn down and rebuilt with a target reopening of spring 2027. The 2026 Preakness is scheduled to be held at Laurel Park.
Journalism, the Santa Anita Derby winner, was the 3-1 favorite in a field of 19 in the Kentucky Derby where he was outfinished by Sovereignty, who won by 1 1/2 lengths. The connections of Sovereignty, owner/breeder Godolphin Racing and trainer Bill Mott, announced three days after the Derby their decision to skip the Preakness and point to the Belmont Stakes to be run June 7 at Saratoga.
The connections of Journalism, trainer Michael McCarthy and an ownership group headed by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, waited until Sunday to confirm their horse for the Preakness. He joined Sandman (seventh) and American Promise (16th) as horses coming out of the Derby to run back in the Preakness, which has a nine-horse field and will be run at 1 3/16 miles.
McCarthy, who in 2021 won the Preakness with Rombauer, said he just wanted to make sure Journalism was showing all the positive signs out of the Kentucky Derby that he showed going into it.
“His attitude’s been great, tearing the feed tub off the wall, just the little things you look for every day, he was doing that,” McCarthy said. “I didn’t want to commit without having laid my eyes on him first for a couple of days.”
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McCarthy has replayed the Kentucky Derby in his mind over and over. He felt Journalism lost position early when several in the field came over on him, reacting to the actions of Martin Garcia, who guided Citizen Bull several paths out after breaking from the rail.
Journalism, who did check early, was more than eight lengths off the pace in a race run over a sloppy track.
“If I could do anything over again, I’d like to have the first 100 yards over again,” McCarthy said. “I’d have just liked to lay a little bit closer. That’s what’s great about racing, if your horse stays healthy, you’re always going to have another shot at it. So, take another shot on Saturday.”
Pimlico’s main track has been wet during the week, and the ever-changing forecast calls for dry conditions Saturday with a high temperature near 90 degrees.
Facing short fields in graded stakes in Southern California, Journalism was never more than 3 1/2 lengths off the pace at any point of call in a four-race winning streak that included three graded wins.
“I think we would have been sitting right behind the speed in Kentucky had we had a clean break, that was the plan all along,” said McCarthy, whose horse on Saturday will break from post 2 under Umberto Rispoli. “Obviously, getting pinched we were a bit farther back than we would have liked. His four races in California he bounced out of there and put himself close to the lead. He’s very tactical and he does have speed when need be.”
There does appear to be ample speed in this year’s Preakness. Clever Again, trained by Steve Asmussen, has won a maiden race and the Hot Springs Stakes in gate-to-wire fashion under Jose Ortiz, who rides him again Saturday.
There is other speed in the field as American Promise, also impacted by the Derby start, and Goal Oriented, a front-running winner of an allowance race at Churchill on the Derby undercard, are expected to be forward.
“We did work him off of company [on May 6] for the possibility of him not being the pacesetter in the Preakness, and we were very pleased with how he handled and think he should handle well enough to get the distance,” Asmussen said.
Ortiz committed to Clever Again before the connections of Sandman, seventh in the Kentucky Derby, decided to run in the Preakness. Trainer Mark Casse, who won the 2019 Preakness with War of Will, believes Journalism, Sovereignty, Baeza (third in the Kentucky Derby), and Rodriguez (Wood Memorial winner) are the four best 3-year-olds in the country.
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“Do I wait and go to the Belmont and face all those guys or come back here and face Journalism?” Casse said. “Now, there are some other very talented horses here, but the horse to beat without a doubt is Journalism. I felt our horse is doing good, he’s happy. I’d rather face one than four, it just makes sense.”
Sandman wore glue-on shoes in the Arkansas Derby and a different type of glue-ons in the Kentucky Derby. He will be wearing regular shoes in the Preakness, Casse said.
John Velazquez, who won his first Preakness in 2023 aboard National Treasure, rides Sandman.
National Treasure gave trainer Bob Baffert his record eighth victory in the Preakness. Saturday, Baffert runs Goal Oriented who is just 2 for 2 and has yet to compete in a stakes race.
“The classics, they’re important races,” Baffert said. “I think he fits. You have Journalism, he is a really good horse and ran a big race in the Derby. Horses with good Derby form run well in the Preakness. My horse had good form two weeks ago. Sometimes that carries on, and it looks like he came back good.”
D. Wayne Lukas won his seventh Preakness last year with Seize the Grey, who was running back on two weeks’ rest after his victory in the Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard. Saturday, Lukas sends out American Promise, his record-extending 49th Preakness starter.
Lukas, 89, felt American Promise got shut off when he tried to split horses down the backside. Lukas believes American Promise has thrived since the Derby.
“I think he’s better this week than he was the week before the Derby, whether that helps us or not I don’t know,” Lukas said. “We all feel we got no excuses at this point. I think Journalism is beatable. It’s a different race. It’s nine head, which means everybody will probably have a shot at him.”
River Thames will look to give trainer Todd Pletcher his first Preakness victory. He came within a neck of Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth on March 1 at Gulfstream Park before running a close third behind Burnham Square and East Avenue in the Blue Grass. His connections gave him extra time by skipping the Derby.
Gosger won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in his third career start, and trainer Brendan Walsh believes his horse is improving.
“If he improves three to five lengths off his Lexington run, which I think he may have, it should put him in with a very good chance in the Preakness,” Walsh said.
Heart of Honor is the rare England-based horse who has traveled to the United States for the Preakness. He was beaten a nose in the U.A.E. Derby by Admire Daytona, who did finish last in the Kentucky Derby.
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Jamie Osborne trains Heart of Honor, a son of the Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. Osborne said his owners, Jim and Clarie Bryce, as well as himself were game to take on the challenge of running in this classic. Osborne’s 23-year-old daughter Saffie will ride.
“We’re not coming here thinking ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to win the Preakness,’ ” Jamie Osborne said. “I think he’s a better horse than he’s shown us yet. His first time wearing the blinkers was the U.A.E. Derby, and that was by far his best performance.”
Pay Billy, trained by veteran horseman Michael Gorham, is the local horse in the field. He has won four of his last five starts, including the Federico Tesio Stakes, which earned him a fees-paid berth into the field.
The Preakness goes as race 13 on a 14-race card that begins at 10:30 a.m. The Preakness is scheduled for 7:01 p.m.
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