Journalism's past performances, jockey, trainer, Belmont Stakes odds and full analysis heading into the third leg of the Triple Crown.
The decision to enter Journalism in the Belmont Stakes came just before the deadline—finalized only after a sharp workout at Saratoga that erased any lingering doubts. With his name officially in the entries, the final leg of the Triple Crown now shapes up as the highly anticipated rematch between Preakness winner Journalism and Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty.
The two colts locked horns in the Derby, where Journalism finished a determined second over a sloppy track, just 1½ lengths behind Sovereignty. Since then, Journalism returned two weeks later to win the Preakness Stakes with a dramatic, hard-fought run—slicing between horses in the stretch to reel in Gosger and claim victory.
Unlike his main rivals, Journalism is the only runner tackling all three legs of the Triple Crown. Sovereignty sat out the Preakness, and Baeza was given extra rest. That makes Journalism’s campaign the most grueling—but also the most impressive in terms of resilience.
He’s been based at Saratoga since his Preakness triumph on May 17, and all systems were go after his bullet 4-furlong breeze in 47.54 seconds on June 1. Trainer Michael McCarthy was pleased with what he saw.
“Based off of what I saw here this morning, I’d be hard-pressed to find a reason not to enter,” McCarthy said.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli, who has been aboard for all of Journalism’s recent efforts, echoed the confidence.
“He’s so smart, such a professional. You’d never guess he just ran two weeks ago,” Rispoli said. “He breezed like a fresh horse.”
Still, the 1¼-mile Belmont—his third demanding race in five weeks—won’t come easy. Journalism’s Triple Crown trail began with a victory in the 1⅛-mile Santa Anita Derby on April 5, followed by the Derby and Preakness. If he can deliver one more big effort, he’ll complete one of the most ambitious campaigns of the season.
Asking too much to run in all three Triple Crown races? He’s battled well every time out and is likely to be there at the end. Definitely a win contender.
Notes: A Preakness-Belmont double has been accomplished 18 times – the last to do it was Afleet Alex in 2005. 2021 Preakness winner Rombauer finished third in the Belmont as McCarthy’s only starter in the race. This will be Rispoli’s first Belmont, three weeks after winning the Preakness in his first attempt. Chief rivals Sovereignty and Baeza, a closing third in the Derby, come into the race with five weeks' rest, while Journalism comes in with three weeks between races.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
