Journalism gearing up 3-year-old debut in San Felipe

ARCADIA, Calif. – Journalism, unbeaten in two starts around two turns, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 at Santa Anita on Sunday in advance of his scheduled 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 1.

The $300,000 San Felipe Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles and is a key prep race for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 5.

Journalism is rated as one of the leading 3-year-old Triple Crown prospects in California.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism had his fourth workout since Jan. 23 on Sunday. McCarthy timed Journalism in 1:01.40, and said the colt worked to expectation.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2025: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

“It’s what we’ve been seeing, good rhythm and very relaxed,” McCarthy said.

Owned by the partnership of Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, and Robert LaPenta, Journalism has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $158,880. Journalism was third in his debut in a six-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita on Oct. 17 and won his second start in a maiden race at a mile at Del Mar on Nov. 17.

In his stakes debut, Journalism won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity at 1 1/16 miles by 3 1/2 lengths on Dec. 14, pulling clear in the stretch to finish clear of Getaway Car, who returned to win Sunday’s Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico in his 3-year-old debut.

McCarthy plans to have runners in two of the four graded stakes at Santa Anita on March 1. McCarthy’s Formidable Man is a candidate for the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile, a $300,000 race on turf.

Formidable Man, the winner of three consecutive turf stakes for 3-year-olds in the second half of 2024, finished last of 12 in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25 after setting the pace to the turn.

“He got caught in a speed duel, not what you want going a mile and an eighth,” McCarthy said.

Formidable Man’s 2024 winning streak included the Oceanside Stakes at one mile at Del Mar last July and the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby there at 1 1/8 miles on Nov. 30.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.