Race Preview - Journalism Leads Nine In Quest For Preakness Glory

Trainer Mccarthy Seeking Second Preakness Triumph

McCarthy, who saddled Rombauer to win the 2021 Preakness, gave his charge the green light after carefully monitoring his training since the Derby. Journalism arrived at the Pimlico backstretch on Tuesday following a van journey from Louisville.

"After carefully observing his colt's training over the course of the last several days, Michael McCarthy gave him the green light," noted connections as they confirmed his participation in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

The talented colt is one of three Derby participants contesting the Preakness, with seventh-placed Sandman and 16th-placed American Promise also making the quick two-week turnaround.
Mark Casse, who won this race in 2019 with War of Will, will saddle Gr.1 Arkansas Derby winner Sandman, who has drawn post seven and been supplemented with the services of Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, replacing Jose Ortiz due to another commitment.

"Johnny is a strong rider, and Sandman needs a strong rider," Casse said. "I think he will fit him perfectly. One thing you will find about the good riders—the Irads [Ortiz], the Joses, the Juniors [Alvarado], the [Joel] Rosarios, the Johnnys...they all know what every horse is going to be doing. That is what they do. The only thing I can do by giving instructions is mess it up."

Casse added, "Obviously you don't want to be the one (post). It worked for War of Will. It worked for American Pharaoh. Journalism is definitely the horse to beat; he has already proven that. We don't know how he is going to react to the two weeks; we don't know how it will be for us."

Co-owner Griffin Johnson was present for the draw. "I got a call on Saturday from Mark [Casse] and he said, 'We're going to run him.' I was excited. I love to see him run. That's my favourite thing about Sandman; I like to show up and support him and watch him do his work. I'm happy to be here," Johnson said.

"We decided to give Sandman an easy day because it's a ship of 12 hours or so. He is doing great," said Casse. His New York assistant trainer, Shane Tripp, will serve as the exercise rider.

"Obviously, Journalism is the horse to beat," Casse reiterated. "He ran really well in the Derby and you know Wayne [Lukas, trainer of American Promise] is always tough. It looks like there will be a decent amount of speed in the race, which is good for us."

American Promise, a Virginia Derby winner who finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby, will represent Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas as the 89-year-old legend attempts to secure consecutive Preakness victories following Seize the Grey's front-running upset 12 months ago. The son of Justify breaks from post three with Nik Juarez aboard, seeking to give Lukas his eighth Preakness to tie Bob Baffert's record.

Baffert And Pletcher Send Fresh Contenders

River Thames, who passed the Derby and comes in off a third-place finish in the Gr.1 Blue Grass Stakes, has been positioned breaking from gate six for trainer Todd Pletcher with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons. The son of Maclean's Music has been training well at Keeneland since his last outing and represents a fresh challenge to the Derby alumni.

Fellow 'Rising Star' Goal Oriented wheels back after winning an allowance race on the Derby undercard and will break from the rail for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with Flavien Prat aboard. The rapidly developing son of Not This Time is taking a significant class leap but has shown tremendous potential in his brief career.

"Once you draw, you can't think about it. Last time I drew the one here was with American Pharaoh. I drew the one with Lookin At Lucky." said Baffert, who is seeking to extend his record of Preakness victories to nine. "He is not as fast as these other horses on paper, but I think he is a good horse. I really thought he was a better fit than Rodriguez would have been."

International Raider Adds Global Dimension

Heart of Honour adds international flavour to the field, making the trans-Atlantic journey for trainer Jamie Osborne, who will give a leg up to his daughter Saffie Osborne. The British-bred son of Honor A.P. was most recently a close second in the Gr.2 UAE Derby at Meydan in April.

Heart of Honor cleared quarantine Sunday and had a light training session Monday morning prior to being shipped to Baltimore. The father-daughter training/riding combination adds a compelling storyline to this year's race, with the international challenger bringing proven form at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles.

Asmussen, Gorham And Walsh Complete The Lineup

Clever Again exits a four-length victory in the Hot Springs Stakes for two-time Preakness-winning trainer Steve Asmussen, with Jose Ortiz taking the mount. The son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah completed an easy half-mile work in 50.4 seconds at Churchill Downs on Monday morning.

"Just maintenance work," said assistant Scott Blasi, who oversees Asmussen's Churchill Downs division. "We really like how he's doing. We thought a lot about him the whole time. We're excited about running him. The horse is happy. His ears are forward, moving fluidly."

Local hope Pay Billy won the Federico Tesio Stakes for trainer Michael Gorham, with Raul Mena retaining the ride. The victory in the Tesio earned the son of Improbable an automatic entry into the Preakness field.
"I'm really happy with it," said Gorham of drawing post five. "That's what I was hoping for;4, 5 or 6. I didn't want to be down on the rail in the 1 or 2, and I didn't want to be on the far outside. I think it worked out pretty good."

"I think we'll get him out of there running and try to get a spot,” he said. “ You don't want to get caught too far back. He has a little tactical speed. He can be forwardly placed. We've got to get into the turn in a good spot, not too far off the lead but with something to run at."

"[Pay Billy] galloped a mile and a half, just a regular gallop to kind of stretch his legs a little bit. Everything is good," Gorham said. "It's going to be an exciting week. We're looking forward to it."
Completing the field is Gr.3 Lexington Stakes victor Gosger for trainer Brendan Walsh with Luis Saez aboard. The son of Nyquist represents Walsh's first Preakness starter and enters the race in excellent form following his triumph at Keeneland in April.

Enhanced Safety Protocols For Landmark Edition

This milestone running of the Preakness, the final one at the existing Pimlico facility before reconstruction, enhanced equine welfare protocols through partnerships with Equine MediRecord (EMR) and Business Infusions.

With a compelling mix of established Gr.1 performers, rising stars and an international challenger, the 150th Preakness Stakes promises to deliver a fitting finale at the historic Pimlico Racecourse before its planned transformation. The race will be broadcast nationwide on NBC and streamed on Peacock, with an enthusiastic crowd expected to witness this historic running of America's second jewel of the Triple Crown.