Journalism wins 150th Preakness Stakes, making stunning comeback down the stretch
BALTIMORE – When jockey Umberto Rispoli rose from his stirrups, first to cross the wire in the 150th Preakness Stakes, it wasn’t just a metaphorical win for any reporter armed with a press pass, Journalism prevailed for the sanctity of the Triple Crown.
Michael McCarthy saddled the 3-year-old colt to a masterful win Saturday in, unofficially, 1 minute, 55.47 seconds, charging back from five lengths down to pass Gosger. Journalism was the Kentucky Derby favorite, finished second, and arrived at Pimlico Race Course again projected to finish first.
He became the first favorite to win the Preakness since Triple Crown winner Justify in 2018 and first Derby-losing favorite to reclaim glory at Old Hilltop since 2010.
There was an air of reverence for Journalism entering the Triple Crown’s second jewel, prominently from a few Hall of Fame trainers.
Mark Casse called Journalism the horse to beat. D. Wayne Lukas told McCarthy earlier this week, “It’s your race to lose.” “Yeah, Mike,” Bob Baffert jabbed, “it’s your race to lose.”
Some chalk up Journalism’s Derby loss to sloppy conditions. The son of 2007 Preakness winner Curlin had never raced on a wet track until Churchill Downs earlier this month. He’s also used to a smaller field. Both were advantages for Journalism in this one, even on just two weeks of rest.
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty did not compete in the Preakness, an act of reasonable caution from Hall of Famer trainer, Bill Mott. Pimlico Race Course, the Triple Crown’s middle child situated in Baltimore’s Park Heights neighborhood, had the next best thing: the Derby’s odds-on favorite and second-place finisher, Journalism.
Journalism trainer Michael McCarthy isn’t buying what others are selling about a reworked coordinated calendar. “It’s demanding,” he said recently. And more important, “it captivates the average observer for the five weeks.”
Of the 67 combined horses that ran in the Derby from 2022 to 2025, only 10 (14.9%) opted into Baltimore. There are factors at play, most of all guarding a horse’s health from a tight turnaround in favor of other high-money stakes.
“It seems like this is going to be happening more and more,” 1/ST Racing president Aidan Butler told The Baltimore Sun. “And if it keeps on happening, well then I believe the Triple Crown in its entirety is in jeopardy.”
No Derby winner present sparked two weeks of discourse from all corners of the sport. For the second jewel specifically, Saturday marked the end of a longstanding era. It was the last time the Preakness would be run in the current edition of Pimlico, which is set to undergo massive renovations that will push the race to Laurel Park for at least a year.
On its final major race day in this iteration, a Friday night thunderstorm muddied the track. An 80-degree glare softened the dirt in time for the main event – a captivating lap under cirrus clouds that, even with a relatively light crowd, brought folks in funky hats right up to the railing.