ARCADIA, Calif. – Journalism runs fast, overcomes trouble and on Saturday at Santa Anita, the 3-year-old colt solidified his role as Kentucky Derby favorite with an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
Despite getting aggressive early while trapped inside, and steadying in traffic near the three-eighths pole, Journalism wore down Baeza to win the Santa Anita Derby by three-quarters of a length.
Journalism’s 1:49.56 final time (102 Beyer Speed Figure) in the 1 1/8-mile race was solid over a Santa Anita main track that played slow. But it was not how fast he ran. Rather, it was how he ran fast. The trouble he encountered may have stopped a less-talented horse. Journalism ($4 favorite) is a star.
“I don’t see many horses that could get held up at the three-eighths (and still win),” jockey Umberto Rispoli said. “A big horse like him, it’s always difficult.”
Michael McCarthy trains Journalism, a son of Curlin who has mile-and-one-quarter written all over him. Journalism was winning his fourth straight race and third consecutive graded stakes. He will go to Churchill Downs as the Kentucky Derby favorite.
Last-out maiden winner Baeza ran super, finishing more than eight lengths clear of longshot third-place finisher Westwood. Baeza and Westwood are trained by John Shirreffs. The two Bob Baffert trainees, Citizen Bull and Barnes, finished fourth and fifth in the five-horse field.
Citizen Bull, second choice in the betting while making his first start in two months, was a weary horse after the race. “He got tired,” Baffert said. “He was blowing pretty good. He needed the race really bad.”
Baffert indicated the Kentucky Derby was still on the itinerary for last year’s champion juvenile colt. Was it the distance that got Citizen Bull beat? “No, (it was) his fitness,” Baffert said. “Especially on this track. Pretty deep today, demanding. It don’t think it’s the distance. He just got tired. We’re not raising the white flag.”
Fitness was not an issue for Journalism, who gained valuable seasoning in the Santa Anita Derby. He was keen early inside and behind rivals, and steadied in a tight spot approaching the three-eighths. Traffic trouble is not good, but the colt’s trainer said the compromising trip may have been a blessing considering what he will face next month at Churchill Downs.
“If he can’t do it against (four), he’s gonna have an awfully hard time doing it against (19),” McCarthy said. “He’s taken dirt a couple times now.”
Rispoli was plastered with dirt after the race. That happens when you ride a horse that is buried inside in a dirt race. Despite losing momentum nearing the far turn, Journalism re-rallied. “I was on such a good animal. I was able to get out of there and he did the rest,” Rispoli said.
By the time Journalism regained full stride on the far turn, Baeza had put away front-runners Citizen Bull and Westwood. For an instant at the top of the stretch, it looked like Baeza had the race won. But the long stride of Journalism was too much. Baeza, in his first start against winners after a fast maiden win last out, finished far clear of third.
Baeza will need help to make it into the Kentucky Derby field. The Santa Anita Derby field had only five runners, Kentucky Derby points were reduced by 25 percent. Journalism is in with 122.5 total points. Baeza, however, earned only 37.5 points for finishing second.
Baeza currently is 23rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard (20 can start), with the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes yet to be run next week. Shirreffs, whose trainees finished second and third, said about Baeza, “I’m just happy that he ran such a good race.”
He ran well enough to win. He got beat Saturday by a better horse.
Journalism is more than a one-hit wonder. His highly rated last-out victory in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes was a “live’ race. Third-place Rodriguez, who finished more than 11 lengths behind Journalism in the San Felipe, won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on Saturday at Aqueduct.
Journalism, sired by Curlin and produced by Grade 2 winner Mopotism, has won four of five starts for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, Robert LaPenta, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.
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