Journalism Takes on Elders in Pacific Classic

Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners is working his way through a Southern California racing fan's bucket list. First, Eclipse won this year's Santa Anita Handicap (G1) with Locked , owned in partnership with Walmac Farm. Then Journalism  took the Santa Anita Derby (G1), and the 3-year-old colt can continue Wellman's incredible journey if he can add the Aug. 30 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar.

"It been wild for sure—no doubt about it," said Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse, which owns Journalism with a long list of partners: Bridlewood Farm, the colt's breeder Don Alberto Stable, Elayne Stables 5, Robert V. LaPenta, and lessees Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael B. Tabor.

Growing up in Southern California, Wellman has seen nearly every Pacific Classic since the inaugural running of the 1 1/4-mile event in 1991.

"I don't know if I've seen them all," he said. "There might have been a little lull when I was in college because I had to report early for soccer training camp. There's no question I've seen a vast majority of them, including the first one, when Best Pal won it."

Not lost on Wellman is the fact that Best Pal defeated his elders as a 3-year-old in that race, something Journalism is also trying to do. Three-year-olds have typically fared well in the Pacific Classic, triumphing six times, most recently in 2023 when 3-year-olds Arabian Knight   and Geaux Rocket Ride ran 1-2.

Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, takes on a field of seven older horses that includes two very impressive competitors: champion Fierceness  and the brilliant Nysos . But Journalism brings his own top-notch credentials. After winning the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Derby early this year at his California home base, he won the Preakness Stakes (G1) in Maryland and Haskell Stakes (G1) in New Jersey. His only losses were seconds to Sovereignty  in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1).

Sovereignty continued his stellar season in the Aug. 23 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, devouring the field by 10 lengths. Journalism could have tried Sovereignty again there, but the Pacific Classic gives the colt the opportunity to stay home and face older horses at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar, the same circumstances of another race on his dance card: the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race for the Classic, though Journalism already has his ticket from the Haskell, also a Challenge Series event.

Wellman said that the team had seriously considered the Travers for Journalism, both because of the race's importance and to go up against Sovereignty again. But Wellman noted Journalism's extensive travel itinerary this year, from Kentucky to Maryland to New York for the Triple Crown races, back to California, followed by a trip to New Jersey for the Haskell, and then a return to California.

"At the end of the day, it boiled down to us being able to wait a week longer and run out of his own stall as opposed to having to get on a plane and fly across country again," Wellman said.

Umberto Rispoli has ridden Journalism in all but one of his starts and returns to ride the son of Curlin   from post 6.

Under the Pacific Classic weight-for-age conditions, Journalism will carry 118 pounds and get six pounds from each of his rivals. He has been made the 9-5 second choice on the morning line behind Nysos at 8-5.

Four-year-old Nysos is only a neck shy of a perfect record in six starts. Plus, he comes from the always-dangerous Bob Baffert barn. Baffert has won the Pacific Classic a record seven times, including with Arabian Knight.

After two wins at 2 in 2023 by 10 1/2 lengths and 8 3/4 lengths, Nysos looked headed for the 2024 Preakness with a 7 1/2-length score in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3). Instead, physical issues sidelined the son of Nyquist   for 15 months. In his first race back, Nysos ran second by a neck to Mindframe  in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) and followed that with daylight wins in the Triple Bend Stakes (G3) and San Diego Handicap (G2), the latter at Del Mar. The Pacific Classic will be Nysos' first attempt at 1 1/4 miles, and Flavien Prat will ride.

Fierceness, the third choice on the morning line at 3-1, invades from New York and comes from another formidable barn, that of Todd Pletcher. His regular pilot, John Velazquez, will also ship in for the race.

Famous for a somewhat in-and-out record, Fierceness is coming off a rough trip when fifth in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Three starts back, the 2023 champion 2-year-old male set a track record at Churchill Downs of 1:40.66 for 1 1/16 miles in the Alysheba Stakes (G2). Fierceness won the 2024 Travers by a head over eventual Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna  and ran second to rival Sierra Leone  in that year's Breeders' Cup Classic.

Midnight Mammoth , Ultimate Gamble , Indispensable , Lure Him In , and Tarantino  round out the Pacific Classic field.

Insights from Thoro-Graph

• Fierceness ran a lot better than it looked in the Whitney. When we accounted for the ground he lost racing wide on the turns he actually earned a pretty good figure, not his best, but one that would make him a strong contender if he runs it again here. This colt has a history of running his big ones off layoffs and non-efforts. Whatever he runs here, he'll probably fire his best shot when fresh for the Breeders' Cup.
• Nysos was a monster as a 2-year-old. But he's never really gone on, save for slight improvement one time in a sprint two back, and the figures that were strong enough to dominate as a juvenile make him just a borderline contender against top older horses. Even if he can handle the distance, which is questionable, and even if he runs back to that one sprint figure, it probably won't be good enough. Nysos will need to improve to win this.
• Journalism is a dinosaur. You just don't see 3-year-olds any more that run this often, let alone fire every time, let alone get better as a strenuous campaign goes on. This colt gets weight worth more than a Thoro-Graph point from his elders here, and if he runs back to his last two, his only competition figures to be Fierceness.
• Indispensable and Lure Him In have never run fast enough to threaten the top two, but both have been moving forward, and either could hit the board at a big price.

Thoro-Graph performance figures are calculated based on a race's time with adjustments for beaten lengths, track speed, ground loss, weight carried, and, when necessary, wind. The lower the number, the better the race. Complimentary sheets for this week's race can be found online at Thoro-Graph. Learn more about how to analyze Thoro-Graph data at www.thorograph.com/basics.