When Journalism conquered a very strong Bob Baffert trio in the Dec. 14 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), trainer Michael McCarthy was putting the finishing touches on an excellent two weeks. McCarthy won the Hollywood Derby (G1T) with Formidable Man at Del Mar Nov. 30, ran second at Los Alamitos Race Course in the Dec. 7 Starlet Stakes (G2) with Look Forward , and then Journalism demonstrated promise that bodes well for the 2025 Triple Crown trail.
Beating Baffert in a 2-year-old graded stakes at Los Alamitos this time of year is nearly impossible. Baffert owns both the Futurity and the Starlet; since the Futurity moved to Los Alamitos in 2014, Baffert had won eight of the 10 runnings. For the 2024 edition, he brought graded winners Gaming and Getaway Car , second and fourth, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and promising maiden Mellencamp .
Gaming was the logical choice and went off as the 1-2 favorite. But bettors didn’t ignore Journalism’s impressive maiden score at Del Mar Nov. 17, when fellow Futurity entrants Rank and Mellencamp were among the vanquished, and made Journalism the 5-2 second choice.
Getaway Car, whose pacesetting abilities served him well when he won the Aug. 11 Best Pal Stakes (G3), tried to control the early going again, taking the lead shortly after the gate opened for the 1 1/16-mile race. But Umberto Rispoli and Journalism didn’t let him get too far ahead and Gaming on the rail stayed close as well.
“Umberto bounced out of there and put him in the game early,” said McCarthy. “He found himself a little wide on the first turn, but he was always cruising up the backside.”
When the field headed into the second turn, Gaming on the inside launched his best effort. He couldn’t sustain it, whereas Journalism was just gearing up.
“Around the three-eighths pole, Umberto was asking him to pick it up and he was kind of slowly getting there,” McCarthy said. “You could see it took him a bit to get his feet underneath him, but once he leveled off in the lane, he was very good.”
So good, in fact, that Journalism’s momentum propelled him past Getaway Car. Journalism increased his advantage to 3 1/2 lengths at the wire, stopping the timer in 1:43.04. Getaway Car finished second, three lengths in front of Gaming, followed by Rank and Mellencamp.
The Futurity offered Road to the Kentucky Derby points: 10 to Journalism, five to Getaway Car, three to Gaming, two to Rank, and one to Mellencamp. With earlier points earned, Gaming and Getaway Car are currently second and third on the leaderboard, with 18 and 16 points respectively. Journalism’s 10 puts him into a seven-way tie for fifth. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull leads with 40.
The Kentucky Derby (G1) points and the $120,000 first-place purse made the decision to supplement Journalism to the race for $7,500 a good one for the ownership group. Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5, and Robert LaPenta are the partners in Journalism.
McCarthy felt his options were the Futurity or the Jan. 4 San Vicente Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park.
“We gave this horse every opportunity not to run today,” the trainer said. “But he had two wonderful works, and he was very cool and composed in the paddock. He’s picking things up fast.”
McCarthy trains another good 2-year-old in Bullard , a son of Gun Runner who is 2-for-2 and won the Nov. 17 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.
Journalism isn’t the first in his pedigree to compete at Los Alamitos. His dam, the Uncle Mo mare Mopotism , ran third in the 2016 Starlet as a 33-1 maiden before going on to win the 2017 Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park and 2018 La Canada Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita en route to earnings of $876,090.
Paul and Zillah Reddam’s Reddam Racing campaigned Mopotism and have their own connection to the Futurity. Reddam’s CashCall sponsored the race for some years both at Hollywood Park and at Los Alamitos.
Upon the completion of her racing career in 2019, Mopotism went through that year’s Fasig-Tipton’s The November Sale, selling for $1.05 million to Don Alberto, the breeder of Journalism. Journalism is the mare’s first foal.
Mopotism has proved popular at Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale. Journalism sold for $825,000 to Eclipse at the 2023 edition of the sale, while the mare’s second foal, a colt by Tapit , brought $1.5 million this year from Flying Dutchmen.
Journalism is one of 14 black-type winners and 12 graded winners in 2024 sired by Curlin , the others including Getaway Car and Spinster Stakes (G1) winner Idiomatic . A two-time Horse of the Year, Curlin is scheduled to stand the 2025 season for $225,000 at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms near Paris, Ky.
