McCarthy says Journalism plan will evolve ‘week by week’

Watching his stable star being led on a leisurely stroll in front of barn 61 on the Oklahoma training track, trainer Michael McCarthy continued to marvel at the condition and disposition of Belmont Stakes runner-up Journalism Sunday morning.

“He looks very good. Everything about him is good. He ate up last night and is doing fantastic,” McCarthy said. “All is well. No complaints.”

Journalism was beaten three lengths by Sovereignty in Saturday’s 157th Belmont, held for the second straight year at Saratoga.

Journalism captured the Preakness after running second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby, making him the only horse to compete this year in all three legs of the Triple Crown, contested over a space of five weeks.

“He’s a gorilla. He’s built for something like this, and I’ve thought that for some time,” McCarthy said. “I’m just glad that he showed up. I thought all three of his races were exemplary.”

In the Belmont, Journalism came away from the gate awkwardly and found himself out wide but in the clear rounding the clubhouse turn under regular rider Umberto Rispoli. Meanwhile, jockey Junior Alvarado rated Sovereignty along the inside before tipping out on the backstretch to move within one length of pacesetter Rodriguez. Rispoli made a bold move on the far turn to take a half-length lead into the homestretch, but Alvarado tracked intently and came with a steady run on Sovereignty to surge past inside the eighth pole and draw clear.

“He kind of bobbled a jump or two leaving there, (and we) found ourselves a little bit wider than I’m sure we would have liked going into the first turn. But outside of that he kept his face clean, was in a good spot up the backside and put in a decent run,” McCarthy said. “Sovereignty got a wonderful trip. Hats off to Junior Alvarado, I think he gave his horse two brilliant rides (in the Derby and Belmont). We would have liked to have had the trip that he had (Saturday).”

McCarthy said Journalism will return to his home base at Santa Anita in the next couple of days but did not rule out a return for the regular Saratoga summer meet for races such as the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 26 and Travers (G1) on Aug. 23. The long-term goal is the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“We’ll get him back to California, let him get his feet underneath him and see where we’re at in a couple weeks’ time,” McCarthy said. “I hope everybody stays healthy and we can all find ourselves in the starting gate for a Breeders’ Cup Classic type of thing, maybe back here for the Jim Dandy and Travers. There’s a lot of races in play. We’ll take it week by week with him now.”