Haskell Stakes: Journalism jogs 'nice and easy' at Monmouth

Journalism was out on the Monmouth Park racing strip first thing Wednesday morning and gave every indication that he is the deserving 4-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 58th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes.

The Michael McCarthy trainee and dual Grade 1 winner, who arrived Tuesday evening after an uneventful transcontinental flight from his Southern California base, turned heads and elicited admiration as he jogged one mile around the oval under regular exercise rider Marc Witkowski.

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“I’ve been galloping horses my whole life. I’ve been on Grade 1 winners. He is the best I’ve ever been on, by far,” said Witkowski, who has partnered in the mornings with Journalism since the colt came into the barn as a 2-year-old.

What makes Journalism extraordinary?

“He’s a strong horse and he’s really smart,” Witkowski said. “He’s a very intelligent horse, and he just loves it out there. He’s very competitive. He kind of puffs himself up but at the same time he’s still calm and quiet.

“When he’s out there training and galloping, he loves doing it. He’s a beautiful mover. He just glides over the track. It feels like nothing but power under me, and he moves the ground. I’m watching the poles and he gets around there so easy when I ask him to.

“Whenever I ask him for more he gives it to me. He has adapted to each track he’s run at really well. He is an awesome horse. Just awesome.”

McCarthy plans to arrive at Monmouth Park on Saturday to saddle the winner of the Preakness and the Santa Anita Derby (G1), who is co-owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, and the Coolmore Partners of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

Justin Curran, a longtime McCarthy assistant who also has worked under Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, is tightening the screws on the colt in the meantime.

“He’s doing great. He traveled well and he’s happy with himself,” Curran said. “He got over the track nice and easy. That’s him. Every racetrack, he takes with him. We’ll gallop a mile and a quarter tomorrow.”

Journalism is the only horse to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown this season. He finished second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and his Preakness score under regular jockey Umberto Rispoli was a race for the ages.

Journalism was under urging and looked as though he was done in the far turn. But then he made a strong move up the inside while passing horses. Next, Rispoli had to check him by the three-sixteenths pole when he was bumping with Goal Oriented to his outside and Clever Again to his inside.

Journalism made a remarkable recovery by the eighth-pole and closed with a determined rush to run down Gosger late and prevail by a half-length at the wire.

He will meet Gosger and Goal Oriented again in the Haskell.

Gosger, the third choice in the morning line at 9-2, is trained by Brendan Walsh and Goal Oriented, the second pick at 4-1, represents Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Goal Oriented shared the flight from the West Coast with Journalism and arrived at the Jersey Shore track Tuesday evening, and Gosger vanned from Kentucky and shipped in Wednesday morning at about 5:15 a.m. EDT.

Walsh assistant Stephan Dolan, who accompanied Gosger on his travels, said, “He’s doing well and he’s happy. He just relaxed today. He might walk this evening and do something small. He’ll be out on the track in the morning. The boss will decide what he’ll do. Brendan will be here on Friday.”

Gosger is a homebred for the Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables, and his connections are high on him as well.

“He’s a lovely horse,” said Dolan, who like Walsh is a native of Ireland. “He came so close to winning (the Preakness) that day, but that just proves how good he is and how good of a horse Journalism is.

“Gosger will need a bit of luck Saturday, but so will they all.”

Baffert, who has a record nine Haskell wins, said Goal Oriented, a son of Not This Time, is a big, strong horse who has improved since his last effort in the Preakness.

“I feel good with the way he’s coming into this race,” Baffert said. “He didn’t go backwards on us. He’s been moving forward. He’s a much better horse than he was in the Preakness, and he needs to be. Whether he’s good enough, we’ll see. I have a lot of respect for Journalism. This will be a good race.

“You’ll see a lot of horses start to turn the corner and move forward.”

Dolan agreed that at this stage in their 3-year-old season the colts are coming into their own, mentally as well as physically.

“They’re big boys now,” he said. “This is a big race and it’s a dream. It is a dream for all of us who are in it. We’ll see what happens on Saturday. Fingers are crossed.”

On Wednesday morning Goal Oriented also was out on the track for light exercise shortly after it opened for training, and groom Roberto Luna reported that all went well. Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s top assistant, was expected to arrive later in the day, and he will saddle the horse on Saturday.

Burnham Square, the only other Grade 1 winner in the field as the result of his score in the Blue Grass at Keeneland in April, is expected to arrive on the grounds on Friday. He is trained by Ian Wilkes and regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. will be in the irons as he carries the colors of owner-breeder Whitham Thoroughbreds.

Kentucky Outlaw, Bracket Buster, National Law and the local-based Wildncrazynight complete the Haskell field.

Kentucky Outlaw, a son of Outwork, is the first stakes winner for owner-trainer Felissa Dunn. Unraced as a 2-year-old because of his habitual problem at the starting gate, he celebrated his 3-year-old birthday on Feb. 27 by winning his first time out by 7 3/4 lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Parx.

Next time out he dazzled again when taking an optional-claiming race at the same track by 5 3/4 lengths.

He earned his way into the field by winning the Long Branch, the first of the local Haskell preps, at Monmouth Park on May 10. Florent Geroux will be aboard on Saturday.

“It was great,” Dunn said about the Long Branch. “But my horse got the most attention after he won his first and then second race. We got a lot of calls from people who wanted to buy him.”

In the 57-year history of the Haskell, only four female trainers have gotten their charges to the starting gate. They are Dee Curry, who was sixth with Bethlehem Road in 2019; Nancy Alberts, second with Magic Weisner in 2002; Cynthia Reese, fourth with Devil’s Honor in 1996, and Linda Rice, sixth with Arcadia Falls in 1989.

Dunn and Vicki Oliver, who trains Pegasus stakes winner Bracket Buster, would be the fifth and sixth female trainers in the race. Bracket Buster will have the services of Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez in the race.

Wildncrazynight is trained by Dan Ward, who for four decades was the assistant to Hall of Famers Bobby Frankel and Jerry Hollendorfer. Saturday will be the first time he will saddle a horse in a Grade 1 race under his own name. Locally based Isaac Castillo retains the mount.