He’s in, he’s happy, and he’s the favorite.
Any questions?
Journalism joined the field for the 150th Preakness Stakes (G1) and was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite Monday in a field of nine 3-year-olds going 1 3/16 miles in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
With Derby winner Sovereignty a no-go for the $2 million Preakness on Saturday, Derby runner-up Journalism is the horse to beat leaving from post 2 under Umberto Rispoli for trainer Michael McCarthy.
Journalism was scheduled to arrive at Pimlico Race Course on Tuesday (May 13) after being vanned in from Churchill Downs. The decision to enter the Preakness was made Sunday night.
Sandman, seventh in the Derby, is the 4-1 second choice and drew the No. 7 post for trainer Mark Casse. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call, replacing Jose Ortiz, who rides Clever Again (5-1) for trainer Steve Asmussen.
The third Derby runner in the Preakness is American Promise (15-1), who ran 16th in the Run for the Roses for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
River Thames is the 9-2 third betting choice for trainer Todd Pletcher, seeking his first Preakness win. The lightly raced colt qualified for the Derby but was not entered in favor of preparing for the Preakness.
Post positions are not as important as in the Derby, which had a field of 19 charging into the first turn. With a field of nine, an inside post is not as risky. The No. 6 post has produced the most Preakness winners (18).
Alse entered is Goal Oriented (6-1), who drew the rail for trainer Bob Baffert, seeking to extend his Preakness record to nine victories. Lukas is seeking his eighth Preakness win and second in a row (he won last year with Seize the Grey, who started from post 6).
Baffert-trained National Treasure won from post 1 in 2023.
Journalism came into the Derby with a four-race winning streak, including the San Felipe (G2) and the Santa Anita Derby (G1). In the Derby, the 3-1 favorite was bumped at the start and wound up traveling nine-wide before taking the lead at the top of the stretch, but Sovereignty outkicked him for a 1 ½-length victory.
With the smaller field, there are far fewer chances to run into trouble. The shorter distance, though, is of no concern for McCarthy.
“I don't think it makes any difference,” McCarthy said. “I thought his mile and a quarter here (in the Derby) was very good after getting pinched back at the start. He came with a big run around the turn and was still finishing at the wire.”
McCarthy traveled from his California base to Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday to watch the Journalism gallop. He obviously liked what he saw.
“I just wanted to make sure. I hadn't seen the horse for a few days,” McCarthy, who won the 2021 Preakness with Rombauer, said Monday. “I wanted to come and make sure everything was as I would have expected it to be, and it was all good here. He's had a couple of good mornings since I've been here. Very pleased with what I've seen so far. He's a horse that's doing well. He's thriving in his environment.”
This will be the third time in the last seven editions of the Preakness that the Derby winner did not run. They were the 2019 winner Country House (via the disqualification of Maximum Security) and the 2022 winner Rich Strike.
