ARCADIA, Calif. - Partially due to the excitement of winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby hours earlier on Journalism, and partially because of late-night viewing of the Japanese Grand Prix, jockey Umberto Rispoli had trouble sleeping on Saturday night.
Getting settled was not easy. There was a lot to review from Saturday’s program at Santa Anita, notably his winning ride on Journalism in the $500,000 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles.
Overcoming traffic issues at the end of the backstretch, Journalism rallied from last of five to win as the even-money favorite over 14-1 Baeza. The victory confirmed Journalism’s status as an early favorite to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.
Rispoli won his second Santa Anita Derby on Saturday. In 2021, he won aboard Rock Your World, only to lose the mount two weeks later to Joel Rosario. At the time, John Sadler, who trained Rock Your World, said the rider switch before the Kentucky Derby was “never easy.”
Rock Your World beat two horses in the 19-runner Kentucky Derby as the 9-2 second choice. Rispoli gained a late mount on 43-1 Brooklyn Strong, who finished a length in front of Rock Your World.
In the last four months, Rispoli has ridden Journalism to a three-race winning streak that includes the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December in his stakes debut and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in March in his 3-year-old debut.
Journalism is the sort of horse Rispoli dreamed of acquiring when he relocated from Hong Kong to California in late 2019.
“It’s always good to be on the favorite and not a longshot,” he said of his Kentucky Derby prospects. “You wake up every morning looking for a big horse for your life and your career.”
In the Santa Anita Derby, Journalism was racing on the inside when he was checked while briefly in traffic. He recovered quickly. Rispoli moved Journalism to the outside on the turn and caught Baeza late.
“I knew I had a ton of horse,” Rispoli said.
A clean trip will be vital in the Kentucky Derby, which will have a maximum of 20 runners. Rispoli said the composition of the Kentucky Derby field will be entirely different than the Santa Anita Derby.
“It will be tough no matter what,” he said. “It won’t be a tactical race like it was with five horses. With 20 horses, they’ll get position on the first turn.
“It will be less tactical. They’ll be horses going for the lead.”
Trainer Michael McCarthy said on Sunday that Journalism emerged from the race in good condition, showing a hearty appetite “and then some,” he said.
Journalism is assured a berth in the Kentucky Derby, while Baeza may not have sufficient qualifying points to gain a position in the field. Baeza has 37.5 qualifying points, which left him 23rd in the rankings as of Sunday.
The list will change depending on factors such as the number of foreign-based starters in the Kentucky Derby, the results of Tuesday’s Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, and developments in the weeks before entries are taken on April 26.
On Sunday morning, trainer John Shirreffs was not overly concerned about whether Baeza would earn a position in the Kentucky Derby. The Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 17 is another goal, he said.
“I’m not going to worry about it,” Shirreffs said. “It’s stress you don’t need.
“Obviously, the Preakness would be a great race.”
Traveling to Churchill Downs without assurance of a start is unappealing, Shirreffs said.
“It’s tough to go over there and be on the also-eligible list,” he said.
Baeza had his stakes debut in the Santa Anita Derby, his first start since a win in a maiden race at a mile on Feb. 14.
Shirreffs saw a promising performance, and a prospect with ample chance for improvement.
“He’s racing at a high level,” Shirreffs said. “He’s got good acceleration and distance is not an issue for him. His gallop out was excellent.
“On the flip side of that, he has to get over his tendency to move to his left. That doesn’t help him.”
Shirreffs said Baeza lost his right front shoe in the running.
Baeza finished 8 1/2 lengths in front of stablemate Westwood, a maiden. Westwood raced in traffic briefly nearing the turn and recovered to finish a well-beaten third.
“He could have folded up when he had to be checked on the turn,” Shirreffs said. “It shows what class he has.”
As well as Baeza and Westwood performed, Citizen Bull was a disappointing fourth, fading from the lead through the stretch. The champion 2-year-old male of 2024, Citizen Bull had his first start in the Santa Anita Derby since a win in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at a mile on Feb. 1.
“I wish I’d had another race in him,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He got tired.”
Citizen Bull remains on course for the Kentucky Derby.
“We’re at halftime right now,” Baffert said. “We’ll make some adjustments and we’ll be fine. He got a lot out of the race.”
Baffert said there are no race plans for Barnes, the winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs in January, who finished last in the Santa Anita Derby. Barnes was second in the San Felipe, but was not a factor in the Santa Anita Derby in the longest race of his career.
“They all came out of the race well,” Baffert said. “Barnes, we’ll regroup with him.”
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