OCEANPORT, NJ – Journalism once again proved he’s one of the top 3-year-olds in the country with another thrilling stretch run, capturing Saturday’s $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park. In front of a roaring crowd of 41,876—Haskell Day’s largest since 2015—the Triple Crown warrior surged past Gosger in the final strides to win by a half-length under jockey Umberto Rispoli.
The victory marked Journalism’s second consecutive Grade 1 win following his Preakness triumph and guaranteed him a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 1 through the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.
Trained by Michael McCarthy and owned in partnership by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, and the Coolmore trio of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, the son of Curlin continues to enhance an already impressive résumé.
The handle for Saturday’s card reached a record-setting $21,999,962—the highest ever for a non-Breeders’ Cup Haskell Day and the third straight year of breaking that mark.
Another Déjà Vu Finish
Much like his Preakness performance, Journalism left the theatrics for late in the race. Breaking poorly from the gate, he settled near the back of the eight-horse field and trailed through early fractions of 23.33, 46.83, 1:10.75, and 1:35.71. But as the field turned for home, Rispoli unleashed his colt with a powerful rally, covering the 1 1/8 miles in a final time of 1:48.15 on a fast track. Once again, Gosger was left heartbroken in second, with Goal Oriented a close third.
“He can be tactical. You can ride him from behind, you can ride him from everywhere,” said Rispoli. “But today, I think, he was most special, probably more than the Preakness.
“Today, coming out of the gate he was upset with the kickback. Something was bothering him. He’d never been worried about the kickback before. So on the backside I decided to take him closer to Gosger, and I know the horse was going to take me wherever I want. I tried to keep him engaged going to the quarter pole. Once I pulled the stick out, he responded as a great horse. I got up in time.”
A First for McCarthy and Rispoli
Saturday marked both Rispoli’s and McCarthy’s first time competing in the Haskell—and their first time at Monmouth Park.
“I was a little concerned early,” McCarthy admitted. “He didn’t break great again and was farther back than we’d hoped. But Umberto gave him a little encouragement early and got him engaged. Then he came with that long, steady run, and I’m glad we had just enough ground to get there.”
Connections React
Gosger’s trainer, Brendan Walsh, was left frustrated by another narrow loss to Journalism. Luis Saez gave Gosger a perfect ride, but it wasn’t enough.
“Luis gave him the perfect ride. Luis rode a fantastic race. My horse ran a great race,” said Walsh. “We got nailed again by a really good horse. I’m disappointed, but I’m not disappointed in the horse. He ran great. He’s been unlucky. He ran into this horse twice now. We’ll take him back to Kentucky and there are lots of good races in the future for him.”
Goal Oriented, trained by Bob Baffert, fought bravely in the stretch and continues to show promise in just his fourth career start.
“We’re proud of his effort and he ran well,” said Bob Baffert, who holds the Haskell record with nine wins. “It was exciting turning for home and that’s all you can ask for in this game, to have something to cheer for. It was a great finish and we came close. The horse is improving and he’s getting better. Obviously, we would have liked to have won. But he’s getting better and better and improving. It was a great Haskell.”
Full Order of Finish
Behind the top three were: Bracket Buster, Burnham Square, National Law, Kentucky Outlaw, and Wildncrazynight.
Journalism’s Future
Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Journalism improved his record to 6-2-1 in nine starts while upping his bankroll to $2,438,800. He returned $2.80 as the 2-5 favorite.
McCarthy said that there are no definitive plans for the now three-time Grade 1 winner and he will decide later once he gets Journalism back to his Southern California base. He is scheduled to depart Monmouth on Tuesday morning for the flight home.
“He’s very a very special horse,” said an emotional McCarthy shortly after the race.
