How Journalism’s Preakness 2025 win stacks up historically
Journalism Captures the 2025 Preakness Stakes
In an impressive display of speed and determination, Journalism lived up to his favorite status with a commanding victory in Saturday's 150th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. The victory not only adds to the legacy of his sire Curlin but also establishes trainer Michael McCarthy and jockey Umberto Rispoli as multi-time and first-time Preakness winners, respectively.
Let's take a deeper look at how Journalism's performance compares to past Preakness winners and what it means for the connections involved.
How Journalism Stacks Up Against Recent Winners
Journalism entered the Preakness as the favorite at odds of 1-1 and delivered with a final time of 1:55.47. His Beyer Speed Figure of 98 places him among recent Preakness champions, though not at the highest historical levels. Here's how his performance measures up against the 25 most recent Preakness winners:
While Journalism's Beyer figure of 98 is below the 21st-century average of 105.24, it matches National Treasure's figure from 2023 and is just one point above Justify's 97 from his 2018 Triple Crown year. The modern Preakness Beyer record belongs to Smarty Jones, who posted a massive 118 in his 2004 victory.
In terms of final time, Journalism finished in 1:55.47, which is slightly faster than the average winning time of 1:55.53 for Preakness winners since 2001. Interestingly, his time exactly matches Lookin At Lucky's 2010 winning time.
Journalism's Win Bolsters Connections' Records
Curlin: Rising Force as a Preakness Sire
With Journalism's victory, Curlin now joins elite company as a two-time Preakness-producing sire, following Exaggerator's win in 2016. This accomplishment is particularly meaningful as Curlin himself won the 2007 Preakness in a brilliant time of 1:53.46, which remains the fifth-fastest in the race's history at the 1 3/16 mile distance.
| Curlin's Preakness Legacy | Year | Position | Beyer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curlin (as racehorse) | 2007 | 1st | 111 | 3.4-1 |
| Ride On Curlin | 2014 | 2nd | 103 | 10.3-1 |
| Exaggerator | 2016 | 1st | 101 | 2.6-1 |
| Good Magic | 2018 | 4th | 95 | 3.9-1 |
| Tenfold | 2018 | 3rd | 95 | 26.1-1 |
| Fenwick | 2022 | 9th | 48 | 13.2-1 |
| Journalism | 2025 | 1st | 98 | 1-1 |
Michael McCarthy: Perfect in the Preakness
Trainer Michael McCarthy has now achieved the remarkable feat of winning with both of his Preakness starters. His first victory came with Rombauer in 2021, and now Journalism has given him a perfect two-for-two record in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
| McCarthy's Preakness Runners | Year | Finish | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rombauer | 2021 | 1st | 11.8-1 |
| Journalism | 2025 | 1st | 1-1 |
This perfect record places McCarthy among elite company in Preakness history. While Bob Baffert leads active trainers with six Preakness victories, McCarthy has made the most of his limited opportunities in the classic race.
Umberto Rispoli: First Preakness Mount, First Win
Italian-born jockey Umberto Rispoli made his Preakness debut a memorable one, guiding Journalism to victory in his very first mount in the Triple Crown's middle jewel. This continues the jockey's rise in American racing after establishing himself internationally in Hong Kong and Europe before moving his tack to the United States.
Favorites in the Preakness: A Strong Betting Angle
As the betting favorite at 1-1 odds, Journalism continued a strong trend of favorites performing well in the Preakness Stakes. Since 2001, favorites have won 11 of 25 runnings (44%), significantly higher than the typical rate in most horse races.
This continues to make the Preakness a more formful race than either the Kentucky Derby or Belmont Stakes, with recent favorites like American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018), and California Chrome (2014) all delivering on their short odds.
Historical Context: Journalism's Time in Preakness History
When viewed in the broader historical context of the Preakness at its current 1 3/16 mile distance (since 1925), Journalism's winning time of 1:55.5 places him 38th among all 101 winners. This puts him in the upper-middle tier of Preakness performances throughout history.
Journalism's time matched that of 2010 winner Lookin At Lucky (also 1:55.5) and sits just behind the 1:55.4 recorded by Aloma's Ruler (1982) and Kauai King (1966), while being slightly faster than Smarty Jones' 1:55.6 from 2004.
For context, the five fastest Preakness winners of all time are:
| Horse | Year | Final Time | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretariat | 1973 | 1:53.0 | Lucien Laurin |
| Swiss Skydiver | 2020 | 1:53.3 | Kenneth McPeek |
| Louis Quatorze | 1996 | 1:53.4 | Nick Zito |
| Tank's Prospect | 1985 | 1:53.4 | D. Wayne Lukas |
| Curlin | 2007 | 1:53.5 | Steven M. Asmussen |
Notably, Journalism's sire Curlin recorded the fifth-fastest Preakness time in history (1:53.5) when he won in 2007. Journalism's trainer Michael McCarthy also trained 2021 winner Rombauer, whose time of 1:53.6 ranks as the sixth-fastest in Preakness history, demonstrating the trainer's ability to prepare horses for peak performances in this classic race.
Conclusion: Journalism Delivers on Promise
Journalism's Preakness victory validates his status as one of the top three-year-olds of 2025. While his performance figures don't match the historical highs of legends like Smarty Jones or Curlin, he delivered a professional performance worthy of his favorite status.
For the connections, this win solidifies their place in Preakness history: Curlin as an increasingly important sire of classic winners, Michael McCarthy as a perfect two-for-two in the Preakness, and Umberto Rispoli as a jockey who made the most of his first opportunity in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.