DEL MAR – Journalism is coming home.
The winner of the Preakness and Saturday’s Haskell Stakes will fly west from Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Tuesday and spend at least the next month at the seaside before a decision is made on the 3-year-old’s next race.
And that race could be the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Or the Travers at Saratoga.
“We’re glad he is coming home,” Aron Wellman said Sunday afternoon. “He’ll rest and take it easy for the next week to 10 days before we start looking ahead. The horse will tell us what is next. Both the Pacific Classic and the Travers are possibilities.”
Wellman is the president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners LLC, the owners of the son of Curlin. Journalism won the Santa Anita Derby earlier this year before finishing second to Sovereignty in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
The Travers would likely give Journalism another rematch against Sovereignty. The Grade I Pacific Classic on Aug. 30 could match Journalism against trainer Bob Baffert’s highly-regarded 4-year-old Nysos, who is expected to be the favorite in Saturday’s San Diego Handicap.
Regardless of what happens next month, Journalism and Sovereignty figure to meet again in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
“First of all, what an incredible win by Journalism in the Haskell,” Del Mar president Josh Rubinstein said Sunday. “We’re in communications with Journalism’s team. We’ve seen some great horses compete in the Pacific Classic. We’d love to add Journalism to that list. We’re hoping that Del Mar hosting the Breeders’ Cup seals the deal.”
As for Del Mar’s opening weekend …
“We’re thrilled with the opening weekend,” said Rubinstein. “Opening day was smooth and a sellout. On-track attendance was up 5½ percent over the first three days from 2024.”
A day after riding Journalism to victory in the Haskell, Umberto Rispoli returned to Del Mar and won Sunday’s featured Osunitas Stakes aboard Medoro ($7.60). Medoro, racing for the first time in 2025, turned a strong stretch run into a 1¾-length victory over 20-1 longshot Grand Slam Smile in the one-mile run on the turf for older fillies and mares. Favored Queen Maxima faded in the stretch and finished sixth among the 11 starters.
A race earlier, Rispoli teamed with Journalism trainer Michael McCarthy to win with the favored Nation ($3.60).
“It feels good to have a stakes win at Del Mar,” said Rispoli. “I had a wonderful trip in this race. She broke very well out of the gate and I set myself in a good spot. I was one off the fence behind the speed and that’s the best place to be on opening weekend at Del Mar. Going a mile is never easy, but she looks like a classy filly.
“She was rested and she came back strong.”
“I was so pleased to see her show a lot more tactical speed,” said trainer Peter Eurton. “The freshening did a lot for her. She put on weight.”
Notable
Jockey Tiago Pereira is awaiting surgery after suffering multiple facial fractures in a spill during Saturday’s fifth race on the turf. Pereira, who is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks, was tossed when the Doug O’Neill-trained Origami clipped the heels of another horse and fell. Origami needed seven stitches to close a cut but is otherwise okay. “She got lucky,” said O’Neill.
• Sunday’s early Pick 5 paid out $351,000 to one winning ticket (4-6-11-6-5). Three winners were 15-1 or longer, with Golden Ale ($77.80 in the third race) being the longest winner of the opening weekend. The 32 races produced nine winners of 10-1 odds or longer and five of 20-to-1 or longer.
• Antonio Fresu leads the jockey standings after the first weekend with seven wins. Hector Berrios is second with five.
• Privman, a 3-year-old son of Justify named for retired Southern California racing journalist Jay Privman, scored his first victory Sunday ($4.40) under jockey Juan Hernandez for Baffert.