McCarthy looks forward to rematch with Sovereignty

While saying he wasn’t disappointed that Sovereignty was not running in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, Michael McCarthy, trainer of Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism, said he’d look forward to a rematch at some point in the future.

“Hopefully, Journalism stays healthy and Sovereignty stays healthy, and somewhere down the road, we get to hook up,” McCarthy said. “I think it’d be great for the fans, really great for the sport.”

McCarthy said it’s possible Journalism could run back June 7 at Saratoga in the Belmont Stakes, the race Sovereignty is targeting.

“He had three races in seven weeks as a 2-year-old. It didn’t seem to bother him,” McCarthy said. “Three races in five weeks is a little bit different. He’s a hearty horse, seems like he’s got plenty of constitution. A mile and a quarter, a mile and three-sixteenths, and a mile and a quarter again doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an issue for him. It’s in the back of our minds.”

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