Updated profiles, with post positions and track odds for the 20 3-year-olds entered for the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs is Saturday (May 3).
Don't waste your time looking for holes in Journalism's form or pedigree because you won't find any. Trainer Michael McCarthy's young star is 3-for-3 in graded stakes, 4-for-4 around two turns, and his bloodlines are impeccable (sired by Curlin out of an Uncle Mo Mare).
He was the 5-1 favorite in the final Derby future wager pool, and his odds should be less than half that May 3 at Churchill Downs. Journalism's performance April 5 in the Santa Anita Derby, where he and rider Umberto Rispoli overcame a troubled trip to win going away by three-quarters of a length, guaranteed that.
“He hit a roadblock at the three-eighths pole and really got stopped cold," co-owner Aron Wellman said. "It takes a superior horse to be able to gather himself, shrug that off, and regain his momentum.”
The Kentucky Derby is often a rough rodeo, and Journalism's traffic problems at Santa Anita prepared him well.
“I'm glad he got the education he got today,” Wellman said. “Small field (five) but lots of trouble, so he's got the appropriate seasoning going into what really has been the ultimate goal all along. And stamina is one of Journalism's strong suits, among many.”
If price is no object and you're OK with settling for 2-1 or so, send it in on “Journalism”. He's clearly the horse to beat and one of the strongest pre-race Kentucky Derby contenders in recent memory.
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.
