Preakness Stakes (G1) victor Journalism departed Pimlico Race Course May 19 two days after completing an improbable comeback in the second leg of the Triple Crown. While his next destination is known—Saratoga Race Course—his next race is still to be determined.
He was the second-to-last of the Preakness participants to leave the Baltimore track.
Trainer Michael McCarthy said the son of Curlin continues to show all of the positive markers he tracks. Even as they move further away from the Preakness and closer to a possible start in the Belmont Stakes (G1), the indicators McCarthy needs to see remain the same.
"You're always kind of wanting to see a horse that is showing you, kind of what we're always looking for: eating, disposition-wise, happy in front of the stall. ... You're around these animals so often, you kind of know them like the back of your hand.
"His routine in the morning won't vary a whole lot. Obviously, the logistics will change, but not what we do with him. We're just looking for the same signs that he's always given us. If he gives us something other than what we've seen before, then we'll go ahead and kind of take a step back, but he's been an easy keeper."
Journalism will run in either the June 7 Belmont Stakes, the July 19 Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, or the July 26 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at the Spa.
Reflecting on Saturday's win in the Preakness, the trainer's second in the race after Rombauer won in 2021, McCarthy said they are polar opposite situations. He pointed to Rombauer earning a "back door" entry to the Preakness by winning the El Camino Real Derby.
"This horse (Journalism) was meant to do something like this from day one," McCarthy said.
Hours before getting on board the trailer for his trek north, Journalism was playful with exercise rider Marc Witkowski, who rewarded the colt with one of his favorite treats: carrots.
Officials from Coolmore, which has a stallion deal in place for Journalism when he retires from racing, paid a visit to the star 3-year-old Monday morning. McCarthy said they had not seen him in a while and wanted an up-close view of Journalism before he left Pimlico for New York.
Getting to Saratoga will be a change from the past few days at Pimlico, where not only has there been significantly less foot traffic, whether from media, facility personnel, tour groups, and more, but almost all of the horses stabled at the track have also moved on to their next destination.
Despite the significant decline in activity at Pimlico, Journalism has handled it as well as he did being squeezed down the stretch and his chances of winning a classic diminishing.
"From a sensory standpoint, there was a lot going on around here the last four or five days," McCarthy said. "So a little bit quiet now. He'll get up there and get back into his routine and just fit in with the crowd nicely when he gets there."
Journalism isn't the only Preakness runner awaiting a Belmont decision.
Several barns away is Heart of Honor, the first horse not bred in North America to start the Preakness since 1960. Stationed in the quarantine barn, the Jamie Osborne-trainee finished fifth in the Preakness and essentially has been in isolation since arriving in Baltimore last week. Some stalls in the front of the quarantine barn housed Arabians, but the back half was occupied by Heart of Honor.
"He's probably coping with it better than you would imagine, because it is hard for them on their own, and he's obviously had a couple of weeks on his own because he's been quarantined," said Osborne's assistant, Jimmy McCarthy. "He's been here on the periphery, so he's dealing with it all right."
He said the son of Honor A.P. is a little quieter in the days after a race, but that will pick up in about a week.
Osborne, as well as Heart of Honor's owners, Jim and Claire Bryce, have returned to England, but the colt will stay in Baltimore until Wednesday. He is scheduled to be the last of the Preakness runners to leave. The Bryces and Osborne are considering entering Heart of Honor in the Belmont Stakes before sending him home for a break in advance of a winter season in the Middle East.
