Take a look at Journalism’s past performances, jockey, trainer, 10-1 morning-line odds and full analysis heading into the Breeders’ Cup Classic
Not only is Journalism probably the best horse in training based on the West Coast, he’s also the second-best 3-year-old his year and among the best overall in the U.S.
His campaign this year was hand-crafted by trainer Michael McCarthy and defied a lot of traditional stops many connections make when campaigning a superstar sophomore.
After taking California’s traditional Derby preps (the Grade 2 San Felipe and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby) enroute to a second in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and a win in the Preakness Stakes (G1), he veered a bit off-course and landed in New Jersey for a victory the Haskell Stakes (G1). Six weeks later he ran second at home in the Pacific Classic (G1).
The last move was probably shrewder than just finding a race. It was his first against older horses and it was over the Breeders’ Cup host track, things that will only help him.
On Sunday, he breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01 2/5 under new jockey Jose Ortiz, who flew in from Kentucky after riding at Keeneland. Ortiz returned to Kentucky to ride at Churchill Downs on Sunday.
“(Working him before riding him for the first time) obviously helps, but he’s very straightforward,” Ortiz said. “He did everything right. I didn't try to test him or anything. We know he's a nice horse. We're just trying to get to know him a little bit. But he was very classy out there, as he’s always been.’’
Will he be good enough to turn the tables on his nemesis, Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty? If he’s at his best over his home track, he very well could be. The good news is that he will probably offer a lot more value coming back against Sovereignty and Fierceness, who beat him in the Pacific Classic. He is a must-use in all exotics and if you’re keen to roll the dice, use him on top, too.
Notes: trainer Michael McCarthy has had 19 Breeders’ Cup starters and two winners – Ce Ce in the 2021 Filly & Mare Sprint and City of Light in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile… his dam, Mopotism, was trained by Doug O’Neill, who was a Grade 2 winner. She was a $1.05 million mare, purchased by Don Alberto Stables, who bred Journalism, in 2019. Journalism was purchased for $825,000 by co-owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Farm as a Fasig-Tipton New York Select yearling in 2023.
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