Journalism makes strong Kentucky Derby bid by winning San Felipe Stakes
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The Kentucky Derby picture got more muddled after the penultimate series of races to determine which horses will make the starting gate at Churchill Downs on May 3.
The big winner Saturday was Journalism in the Grade 2 $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. The 3-year-old son of Curlin won his third straight race, beating the highly regarded Barnes, who was undefeated in two races.
Journalism was comfortably rated in the middle of the five-horse field until the top of the stretch where he effortlessly blew past Barnes to win by 1¾ lengths. The remainder of the field, in order of finish, was Barnes, Rodriguez, Mellencamp and Smooth Cruisein. Berlin Wall scratched before the race.
California’s racing future likely hinges on adding Historical Horse Racing machines, but they are similar to slot machines and face many hurdles.
“Obviously it’s nice to have a horse on the Triple Crown trail,” winning trainer Michael McCarthy said. “The connections have had a lot of success, there are some new people involved with the horse. It is always great to have a horse that can take you places and he looks like he is taking himself and everybody else with him.
“I was fairly confident. I wouldn’t say I was overly confident but I thought he was doing well enough to make some noise today. It is a little overwhelming to think of where this horse could go.”
McCarthy said the “most likely scenario” for the colt is to run in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli also noted how easily the 3-year-old colt won.
“He is the kind of horse that for the first furlong he needs to adjust himself,” Rispoli said. “The trip was perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Once I took him out and pressed the button, he put on the beast mode. He ran really strong.”
The ownership group is headed by Eclipse Thoroughbreds, a major player in the sport.
“I always had a lot of confidence in this horse,” said Aron Wellman of the Eclipse group. “Michael has done a spectacular job developing him really methodically. I said before this race, this is the battle and we are going for the war on the first [Saturday] of May. We are not taking anything for granted, but to see him continue to be on this upward trajectory has been really special to watch.”
Journalism, who paid $8.20 to win, won in his second start and captured everyone’s attention with a 3½-length win in the Los Alamitos Futurity, his last race on Dec. 14.
Since there were only five horses in Saturday’s race, Journalism accumulated only 37.5 points as opposed to the 50 traditionally allocated to the winner. Churchill Downs, no doubt in response to the small stakes fields in California, is imposing a points penalty to races with fewer than six horses.
There were two other major Derby prep races Saturday.
Flood Zone won the Grade 3 $200,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in New York. At almost 18-1, Flood Zone, just transferred to the barn of Brad Cox, won dominant in the stretch, going to the front just past the eighth pole to win by 3¼ lengths ahead of favorite Sand Devil. It was a one-turn mile race. Flood Zone earned 50 points and a virtual ticket to the starting gate of the Derby.
The Gotham is usually a prep for the Wood Memorial, but Cox said he hasn’t made a decision on what the next race will be.
At Gulfstream Park in Florida, Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, earned a berth in the Derby with a neck win in the Grade 2 $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes. It was a remarkable last to first over the 1-1/16-mile race.
Mott said the Florida Derby on March 29 is the most likely next step for Sovereignty, but he hasn’t ruled out other options.
There is one more major prep race before the Kentucky Derby, highlighted by the Santa Anita Derby, Florida Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Louisiana Derby, Jeff Ruby Steaks and Wood Memorial. All are worth 100 points to the winner and a rock-solid entrance into the Kentucky Derby.
A lawsuit filed by former Santa Anita public relations director Mike Willman accuses track executives of lying during the 2019 horse fatality crisis.
Going into the final prep race, Coal Battle (70 points), winner of four straight, including the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, is on top followed by the Bob Baffert-trained and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull (60), Sovereignty (60), Flood Zone (50), Journalism (47.5), Getaway Car (36), Built (35), Madaket Road (31), Burnham Square (30) and Sandman (29).
Baffert trains Citizen Bull, Getaway Car and Madaket Road as well as Rodriguez (21.25), Barnes (18.75) and Gaming (18).
Saturday was a major card at Santa Anita with several stakes including the Grade 1 $300,000 Santa Anita Handicap. The race was at one time worth $1 million but has dwindled in recent years, turning the Big ’Cap into more of a Little ’Cap. A purse of $300,000 is required for a Grade 1 race.
Shipping from the East Coast, Locked ($3.40), for trainer Todd Pletcher, won the 1¼ -mile race for older horses. He won by a commanding 8½ lengths over Express Train, who won the race in 2022. Hit Show was third followed by Midnight Mammoth, J B Strikes Back, Katonah, New King and Mirahmadi.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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