‘An amazing style and an amazing horse’ – Journalism Maintains Pole Position with Santa Anita Success
By: Ron Wood Thoroughbred Racing Commentary
As they began the turn for home in last Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby, hot favorite Journalism suddenly looked in all sorts of bother. By the time this exciting colt hit the line, he had solidified his position as the leading three-year-old dirt runner in the US.
Journallism really had no right to win given how the race unfolded. The inside gate didn’t help him, even in a field of only five runners. He started fine, but was caught in a pocket on the inside by the first turn and this sizeable type became short of room on the home bend, at which point he was last.
Photo: Benoit Photo
Umberto Rispoli embraces Journalism at Santa Anita
Journalism – now part-owned by Coolmore, who will stand him at Ashford upon his retirement – moved into third before the top of the stretch and then gradually wore down runner-up Baeza, winning by three-quarters of a length. It was another 8½ lengths back to third-placed Westwood.
Journalism’s 102 Beyer speed figure was short of the division-leading 108 he recorded when winning the San Felipe at Santa Anita the time before. However, horses don’t typically recover from having their momentum checked on the dirt and this performance pointed to his top-class potential every bit as much as the stopwatch had suggested last time.
His jockey Umberto Rispoli agreed. “That’s such a good animal to be able to get out of there,” he said.
“It’s rare for a horse to get held up at the three-eighths pole and to get back in the race in that way. It’s always difficult, especially for such a big horse – but he has such an amazing style and is just an amazing horse.”
Trainer Michael McCarthy added: “He had me worried for a jump or two. Special horse.”
The form of Journalism’s San Felipe win had been boosted just before the Santa Anita Derby when third-placed Rodriguez, beaten over 11 lengths, won the G2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Journalism had also been a little pinned on the inside in the San Felipe and such experiences should help him cope with 19 rivals at Churchill Downs next month.
Runner-up Baeza was hard to read beforehand. It was, and still is, all about potential with this guy as he had won just a Santa Anita maiden in an ordinary time on his third start. That said, he is a half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby hero Mage, as well as last year’s Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.
Photo: Benoit Photo
Journalism (Umberto Rispoli) thwarts Baeza in the Santa Anita Derby
What is more, he’s also a big horse, a May foal who was born three months after Journalism. He won’t even be fully three until after the Kentucky Derby.
Baeza may even have made the most of the favorite’s less-than-ideal trip had he not hung left under pressure, and it was notable he galloped out well past the winner after the line.
It looked a particularly hard race for Journalism and he has only four weeks to recover, but there’s surely better to come from both of them. The winner has already shown he can run faster, and Baeza has plenty of room to mature.
If Journalism gets to Louisville in one piece, he will go off favorite for the Kentucky Derby. He is now a best-priced 7-2 with international bookies; he was also 5-1 market leader in Future Wager Pool 6, which closed ahead of Saturday’s race.
He may not even face a rematch with the promising Baeza beneath the Twin Spires. With the Santa Anita Derby attracting such a small field, qualifying points for the big race were reduced by 25%, so Baeza picked up just 37½ points. Others will need to drop out if he’s to get a run and trainer John Shirreffs doesn’t sound keen on sending him as a reserve.
Maybe we’ll have to wait until the Preakness – after Journalism has bagged the first leg of the Triple Crown – for another clash between the Santa Anita principals.
The Bob Baffert-trained pair Citizen Bull and Barnes were disappointing in the Santa Anita Derby, finishing well-beaten in fourth and fifth respectively.
Citizen Bull, last year’s champion juvenile, had been off for two months since defeating the same connections’ Rodriguez in a G3 at Santa Anita and the trainer felt he wasn’t fit enough to do himself justice at the weekend.