Preakness 2025: Decision for Journalism will come Monday

Louisville, Ky.

In matter-of-fact fashion, trainer Michael McCarthy said Sunday he will wait until Monday morning before deciding if Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism races next weekend in Preakness 2025. The lead owner, however, sounded like he was tipped slightly toward going to Baltimore.

“We’ll see what tomorrow brings, speak with everybody, get the partners all together and decide tomorrow,” McCarthy said Sunday after Journalism took a mid-morning spin around the fast main track at Churchill Downs.

Sandman will be entered in Preakness 2025.

McCarthy offered little hint about which way he and the owners led by Aron Wellman and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners were leaning as they decide whether to race the Curlin colt Saturday at Pimlico in Baltimore.

“I’ll get with all of them and just kind of discuss the pros. And the cons,” McCarthy said. “See how everybody is feeling. It’s a group of people that are all well educated and well versed in these kind of things. They’ve been great. They’ve been very supportive of whatever we decide to do. I’d say as a whole, I’ll kind of make the case aye or nay and see if they follow suit.”

Wellman sounded later Sunday morning like he was leaning toward saying yes to the Maryland Jockey Club invitation to come to Baltimore.

“We’re going to go over him with a fine-tooth comb this afternoon,” he told the Thoroughbred Los Angeles radio show. “Hopefully, once that process is completed, we’ll be in position to make an announcement. But he’s given us absolutely no reason at this point not to set our sights on Pimlico next Saturday. We just want to really be as smart about this decision as possible.”

Eclipse owns Journalism with Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta and the Coolmore group of Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

If Journalism brings his résumé that includes victories in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), San Felipe (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1), he would be only the third graded-stakes winner to commit to this year’s Preakness. Seventh-place Kentucky Derby finisher Sandman, who won the Arkansas Derby (G1), and Gosger, first in the Lexington (G3), are the others. Since graded stakes came into being in 1973, there never have been fewer than three such winners to be entered in a Preakness.

“I’ve kind of taken a peek at the probables,” McCarthy said. “It’s a competitive spot. It looks like there’s a little bit of pace in there. You’d expect that. It’s a Triple Crown race. You would expect it to be competitive.”

American Promise, Clever Again, Goal Oriented, Heart of Honor, Pay Billy and River Thames are expected to be in Monday’s draw. Bullard, also trained by McCarthy, is a possible entrant.

McCarthy said he would have Journalism put in another easy gallop around Churchill Downs just after sunrise Monday before announcing his decision. Entries will be taken Monday afternoon with the draw at about 6:45 p.m. EDT for the Preakness.

If Journalism goes, McCarthy said he would be vanned from Kentucky to Maryland on Tuesday. The deadline for Preakness horses to be at Pimlico is Wednesday.

Asked what qualms he might have about going to the Preakness, McCarthy said wheeling back in only two weeks was not one of them.

“Obviously he ran three times in seven weeks in California, so he’s a horse that has proven he’s all right off of short rest,” he said. “I’m not too worried about the two weeks. You know, it’s a long year.”

McCarthy said going through the slop for 1 1/4 miles in front of a huge, noisy crowd offered a unique set of circumstances for any horse let alone Journalism.

“It’s a lot,” he said. “It’s a lot for them to recover.”