Journalism’s co-owner talks about Met Mile & Stephen Foster

Aron Wellman said, yes, Journalism will go in the Grade 1, $1 million Met Mile on June 6 at Saratoga. And yes, the now $2 million Stephen Foster (G1) three weeks later at Churchill Downs is under consideration.

But talking about those races, the president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners took a longer view of the older handicap division.

“This year in particular, in trying to map out a campaign for a horse like Journalism, you just have to accept the fact that every race is going to be a championship-caliber race and a war,” Wellman told Horse Racing Nation on Sunday. “I certainly applaud all the connections between White Abarrio and Sovereignty and Magnitude, Baeza, Knightsbridge, Nysos, Antiquarian. These are all horses that could have easily found their way into the breeding shed this year or sooner, and they’re all out there on the racetrack still competing. It’s wonderful to see.”

Stephen Foster candidate Magnitude works at Churchill.

Journalism’s owners, who include future breeding rightsholder Coolmore, already have proven they will show up just about anywhere to face anyone anytime. Last year’s Preakness victory was sandwiched by a pair of seconds to rival Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. A year later, would they make a similar move to wheel back in the Stephen Foster so soon after the Met Mile?

“The plan right now is to go to New York,” trainer Michael McCarthy told FanDuel TV on Saturday. “But obviously, $2 million is a lot of money. Good problem to have.”

As he was on a morning drive in Southern California in the middle of Memorial Day weekend, Wellman did not dampen hopes that Journalism would join reigning horse of the year Sovereignty and at least four other Grade 1 winners for what is turning into a mega-race June 27 in Kentucky.

“Look, it’s first things first, but if all goes well at Saratoga, and he comes out of it well, there’s nothing stopping us from considering going to the Foster after that,” Wellman said.

Churchill Downs announced Wednesday that it was doubling the Stephen Foster purse. Ahead of that news, and before Journalism’s candidacy got McCarthy’s lip service, a marquee cast already was lining up for the 1 1/8-mile race. The names include Sovereignty and his 4-year-old stablemate Baeza, multimillionaire barn mates White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking, and Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Magnitude.

Money talks, and Journalism’s team hears the message. But Wellman said there are more than the obvious dollars making that noise.

“We’re really focused on proper campaign for Journalism, and we’ve got a fiduciary obligation to Coolmore to do what’s in the colt’s best interest and try to enhance his already immense value as a stallion,” he said. “We’re really trying to gear his campaign around those types of races, and the Met Mile has been on our radar since the Breeders’ Cup last November. ... Based on the campaign that he had last year as a 3-year-old, if he runs well in the Met and comes out of it well, it’s certainly worth having a discussion as to whether we want to consider the Foster after that.”

Oblivious to all the talk about him, Journalism worked five furlongs Friday at Santa Anita and was clocked at 59.4 seconds. The 4-year-old Curlin colt, whose co-owners are Bridlewood Farm, breeder Don Alberto, Robert LaPenta and Elayne Stables Five, had an unexpected work partner late in the drill.

“We got a little company there inside the eighth pole,” McCarthy said. “Things kind of tightened up. He took a little dirt in his face, but ... he came the final quarter in 23 and 3, so very pleased.”

With José Ortiz booked to ride Journalism for the third race in a row, the Met Mile will be the colt’s shortest assignment since he broke his maiden going the same distance 18 months ago at Del Mar.

“Even in a mile-and-a-sixteenth in the (2024) Los Al Futurity (G2) and in the (2025) San Felipe (G2), we saw just such a explosive burst from him,” Wellman said. “I think even in the Kentucky Derby, there was the massive move that he made from the half-mile pole to inside the sixteenth pole. You could go back and look at the Belmont last year at Saratoga going a mile-and-a-quarter. He made that eye-catching move to take him into the race turning for home into the stretch. The cutback to a mile, we’re really intrigued by what we might see in terms of really exploiting his brilliance.”

Five-year-old Nysos, who was second by a length to repeat winner Forever Young three months ago in the Saudi Cup (G1), is expected to return for trainer Bob Baffert in the Met Mile and set up a first meeting with his fellow multimillionaire Journalism.

“Nysos is a world-class racehorse in his own right,” Wellman said. “He’s a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner, and he obviously ran lights out in the Middle East earlier this year. He nearly won the Churchill Downs (G1) last year off an extended layoff. Total respect for him and certainly proven at the distance. The mile is probably his best distance, whereas with Journalism it’s a bit of a question mark.”

Journalism will be trying for the fourth time to win a race against older horses. Since he won the Haskell (G1) in his age group last summer, he finished second to Fierceness in the Pacific Classic (G1), fourth to Forever Young in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and third to White Abarrio and Sovereignty on April 18 in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2).

“All indications point to the fact that he will take a significant step forward off the Oaklawn Handicap,” Wellman said. “Michael had him ready for that race, but he certainly hadn’t tightened the screws by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t know that anybody really envisioned him and Sovereignty locking horns right from the jump, pressing each other into really legitimate fractions. We think he got a lot out of that.”

Wellman said that between ages 3 and 4, Journalism has not simply gotten more imposing physically. He thinks the three-time Grade 1 winner is getting smarter.

“He’s matured a lot this year just in terms of his mental approach to his training,” Wellman said. “He’s always a horse that goes out and enjoys his job, but we feel as though he’s wised up in the sense that he doesn’t really feel the need to go out and put on a show week in and week out in all his workouts. He’s still working extremely impressively, but he’s more comfortable in his own skin. His constitution is unmatched. We know the natural ability is there, and we think he’s really honing in on what game time really means.”