In comeback, Journalism wins 150th Preakness Stakes

Two weeks after being the favorite at the Kentucky Derby but finishing second, Journalism faced a similar situation at the Preakness Stakes. The horse trailed behind Gosger and was squeezed between Clever Again and Goal Oriented in the final stretch. With jockey Umberto Rispoli’s encouragement, Journalism made a remarkable comeback and overtook Gosger at the finish line to claim victory at the 150th Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Trainer Michael W. McCarthy, who had previously won the Preakness in 2021 with Rombauer, expressed his initial resignation to a loss as Journalism lagged behind. However, the horse’s impressive performance led to a surprising win. Journalism’s co-owner Aron Wellman and jockey Umberto Rispoli were praised as champions after the race.

Rispoli made history as the first Italian jockey to win a Triple Crown race. The small field of competitors did not include the Derby winner Sovereignty, withdrawn due to the short turnaround between races. The absence of Derby winners in recent years has raised questions about the traditional two-week gap between Triple Crown races.

Despite facing tough competition from experienced trainers like Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas, Journalism emerged as the favorite and eventually claimed victory at the Preakness. The horse’s path to success was challenging, but it ultimately crossed the finish line first.