Journalism surged from behind to win the 150th Preakness Stakes on Saturday in Baltimore, making up five lengths in the final furlong to dramatically capture the middle jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown on the final race day before the rickety 155-year-old venue is demolished and rebuilt.
Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the strapping bay colt left things late in the $2m contest for three-year-olds before validating his status as the 8-5 morning-line favorite, bursting through a gap and accelerating past five rivals down the home stretch to snatch a stunning win at the wire. The result marked McCarthy’s second Preakness triumph and Rispoli’s first Triple Crown victory, making him the first Italian jockey to win one of America’s three most prestigious races.
Gosger finished second, Sandman took third, while Goal Oriented, trained by the controversial Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, came in fourth. Gosger, the 20-1 longshot who was collared by Journalism in the final yards, finished a half-length behind the winner. Journalism completed the 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.37, a strong showing on a day that saw the track dry out after a week of heavy rain.
"A REMARKABLE RECOVERY BY JOURNALISM!"
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 17, 2025
JOURNALISM WINS THE 150TH PREAKNESS STAKES! #Preakness150 pic.twitter.com/f2IOVEyUy9
Clever Again shot out to an early lead, breaking sharply out of the gates and setting the pace into the first turn. After holding in sixth along the rail down the back stretch, Journalism was tucked along the inside, boxed in and trailing by five lengths at the final turn. Rispoli swung him outside and the colt responded with a powerful stretch drive, overtaking Clever Again and Gosger in the final strides. Stewards reviewed the race after a bump between Journalism, Clever Again and Goal Oriented, but no changes were made to the result.
“I still can’t realize what this horse did today,” said Rispoli afterwards, overcome by emotion. “I got in trouble at the corner pole. But it’s all about him. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to ride a horse like him. It’s just unbelievable. I won one of the legs of the Triple Crown and I’m crying like a kid.”
The day provided a measure of redemption for Journalism, a son of 2007 Preakness winner Curlin, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby by one and a half lengths to Sovereignty two weeks ago. Sovereignty’s connections opted to skip the Preakness and target the Belmont Stakes instead, citing the short turnaround. That decision marked the fifth time in seven years that the Preakness was contested without a Triple Crown on the line, renewing a debate over whether the grueling schedule of three races at three different distances in three different states over a five-week span has become antiquated.
Also bidding for history at Pimlico was Saffie Osborne, who came in fifth aboard English import Heart of Honor. The 23-year-old Briton was attempting to become only the second female jockey to win any leg of the Triple Crown after Julie Krone’s breakthrough in the 1993 Belmont. Heart of Honor, a brown colt trained by her father Jamie Osborne, had shown promise in Dubai earlier this year, finishing second in the UAE Derby. “It’s an adventure for us,” Jamie Osborne said before the race. “We didn’t set out for the Triple Crown, but here we are.”
The Preakness, staged at Pimlico since 1873, is set to move to Laurel Park in Prince George’s County next year while the storied Baltimore track undergoes a $400m redevelopment. “A lot of history here,” McCarthy said. “Of all the good horses who have run through the lane here, I think one of the things that really got it started for me was Sunday Silence and Easy Goer [in 1989]. I remember where I was watching that race that day.
“Things kind of come full circle. Will be sad to see this place go, but we’ll try to get back here next year, whichever locale it’s at.”
Journalism became just the fourth Kentucky Derby runner-up to win the Preakness since 1961, joining a group that includes Summer Squall (1990), Prairie Bayou (1993) and Exaggerator (2016). Bought for $825,000 as a yearling at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, his lifetime earnings climbed to $2,838,880 after Saturday’s fifth win in seven career starts.
Although his connections have not yet decided if he will enter the Belmont Stakes for a rematch with Sovereignty, there’s anticipation already building for a showdown in upstate New York. The Triple Crown’s final leg, held at Saratoga Race Course this year due to the ongoing two-year renovation of Belmont Park, could serve as the defining race of Journalism’s season.
“We would love to go,” said Aron Wellman, Journalism’s co-owner and the managing partner of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “I think this ownership group, Eclipse on down, has made it very clear we take these American classics very seriously and hold them in high regard and we want to be good ambassadors for the industry and the sport at large. … We feel very fortunate to be in the position we’re in and if Michael gives him the green light, we’ll be there.”
As the dust settled on Saturday night by Pimlico’s ramshackle grandstand, fans were left to savor one final memory: Journalism’s thrilling surge to the wire, etching his name into the storied history of Old Hilltop before its doors close for good. But for McCarthy, the southern California-based trainer whose family has been displaced for months by the wildfires, Saturday’s second Preakness win was even more emotional than his first with Rombauer four years ago.
“We’ll get back there,” McCarthy said. “Everybody will get back there. We’ll rebuild. This is for Altadena.”
