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Soft Tissue Injury Led To Journalism's Retirement
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- Soft Tissue Injury Led To Journalism's Retirement
Soft Tissue Injury Led To Journalism's Retirement
Six days after his courageous win in the San Diego Handicap (G2) July 18 at Del Mar, Journalism was retired from racing. The connections of the Curlin colt announced the morning of July 24 that their star runner injured himself in the starting gate when he came out awkwardly at the break.
"He was leaning forward, then he took a step back just as they popped the gate," jockey Umberto Rispoli said after the race. "He was away a little slow; I think he might have spotted those other horses maybe five or six lengths. But by the time we got to the first turn, I was comfortable. He had picked it up and I knew I had the horse under me."
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"It didn't look like he was totally set," trainer Michael McCarthy added about the incident at the start. "Looked like he kicked the doors a time or two. Looked like he had one foot in front of the other. When the doors opened he went to reset and it caused him to drop down. But Umberto (Rispoli) did a good job of getting him to recover and his class won out."
Despite the injury Journalism displayed an impressive turn of foot and hit the front by the top of the lane. He had to hold off a late run by runner-up Shea Brennan, but he finished the race with the kind of class he has displayed throughout his career.
The injury was to soft tissue in a hind limb.
"It took a few days to rear its head," McCarthy said. "To the human eye you wouldn't be able to pick it up. The horse is sound to jog."
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Still, the connections chose to err on the side of caution and retire Journalism, noting the horse doesn't owe them a thing.
Journalism first served notice in the fall of 2024 with an impressive maiden score at Del Mar. That was when McCarthy sensed he had a good one on his hands.
"I had a pretty good idea in the fall of his 2-year-old year," McCarthy states. "He really started to turn the corner and act like a top-notch racehorse."
That maiden score was the start of a four-race win streak. He followed with a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) to end his 2-year-old campaign and whet the appetite for a run on the Kentucky Derby trail. He opened 2025 with a win in the San Felipe (G2) and punched his ticket to the Run for the Roses with a victory in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) one month later.
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It was the week leading up to the Derby that McCarthy will remember best of his time with Journalism.
"Just enjoying seeing people enjoy him," McCarthy notes. "Their getting up close and personal type of stuff. It goes along with the Kentucky Derby. Knowing you got a horse in there that's training like he could possibly win a race like the Derby. It's a very good feeling. It's a great experience to be a part of."
Journalism's bid for the roses came up short when Sovereignty ran him down in the stretch but, unlike Sovereignty, he returned two weeks later in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and won in dramatic style, overcoming all sorts of trouble at the top of the lane and winning late.
He would be the only horse to compete in all three Triple Crown races in 2025, falling short to Sovereignty again in the Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. But he returned five weeks later and took the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park.
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McCarthy brought his star back to Southern California where he recuperated from his grueling campaign. By August, plans for the Breeders' Cup were beginning to take shape and the connections decided to start with a prep in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. There was no Sovereignty to contend with that time, but he still wound up finishing second again, this time to Fierceness.
Journalism returned to Del Mar in the fall for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and ran fourth, the only time in his 14 starts that he finished out of the money. It was a wrap on a campaign that won him consideration for Horse of the Year honors but again he would finish behind Sovereignty in that race.
2026 began with a third-place finish in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and another third in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga before he won the San Diego last week.
Journalism ends his racing career with a record of 7-3-3 from 14 starts and and earnings of $4,770,755. He'll begin his stallion career at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky next year.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on Jul 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
