Manocchio: Why I root for Journalism to win Belmont

Poor journalism has led to the downfall of many modern day media outlets in America. It seems ironic that Journalism can help keep horse racing on the right path. Of course in this case, I am talking about Michael McCarthy's star 3-year-old colt.

I have been handicapping horses for over twenty years and I can count on one hand the number of times I have bet on a horse due to bias rather than strict handicapping and value. On Saturday, I will be biased and will find myself actively rooting for Journalism in the Belmont Stakes, because his connections value what keeps the great sport of horse racing going, gamblers and fans.

Journalism's connections were rightfully disappointed that their colt, who was favored to win the Kentucky Derby, came up just short at Churchill Downs. They easily could have sulked and sat out the Preakness Stakes like so many connections do these days and saved their horse for the Belmont Stakes. If Journalism did not run in the Preakness Stakes, this year's edition would have been one of the least talked about Preakness Stakes of all-time and would have had a very forgettable result with Gosger winning. 

Instead, fans were treated to an unforgettable display of grit, determination and ability as Journalism bulled through more traffic than a Los Angeles freeway to win the Preakness Stakes. Horse racing has no bigger stage than the Triple Crown and moments like Journalism's win in Pimlico is what keeps the sport relevant in the national spotlight.

All sports are dealing with issues of softness in the modern era. Basketball has load management, football has rules against many forms of tackling and baseball teams rarely let pitchers pitch more than six-innings. These new normals drive fans crazy, but it does not stop viewers from watching as these sports are all at or near their peak of popularity. Horse racing's peak of popularity was many years ago. Additionally, basketball players do not sit out when healthy for the season's biggest moments, but horses do.

When Rich Strike skipped the 2022 Preakness Stakes, no one thought much of it because his 80-1 win in the Kentucky Derby was a fluke and everyone knew he had no chance of winning the Triple Crown. It still signified a concerning trend within the industry. Sovereignty, one of the highest regarded runners in his crop prior to the Kentucky Derby, had everything to run for in the Preakness Stakes. Since 1979, only two horses have captured the Triple Crown and Sovereignty looked poised to have a legitimate chance following his powerful Kentucky Derby victory.

Assuming Journalism suffered the same dreadful trip if Sovereignty was in the Preakness Stakes, it is highly likely that Bill Mott's colt would be going for the Triple Crown on Saturday. Instead, fans of the sport were robbed of this opportunity, because the connections of a perfectly healthy colt decided that they did not care about the good of the sport.

There will be people who disagree with me that will say Bill Mott and Godolphin do not owe me or other racing fans anything. It would be interesting to see if they have the same mindset years from now when their beautifully bred horses are striding through a Kentucky field with no more tracks left to run at after alienating the supporters of the sport.

In all sports, winning prestigious events is supposed to be challenging. The difficulty of winning the Triple Crown is what makes it so illustrious. Three horses returned in two weeks to run in the Preakness Stakes and finished first, third and fourth, proving that horses can still handle a quick turnaround like they have for over one hundred years if allowed the opportunity.

I will be rooting for Journalism as the only horse to compete in all three legs of this year's Triple Crown. If he can come back three weeks after putting together a grueling performance in the Preakness Stakes and still defeat a field of fresh runners, one of whom already defeated him, it will hopefully slow down this disturbing trend ruining the Triple Crown.