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Journalism departed Pimlico Racecourse two days after completing an improbable comeback in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Whilst his next destination is known—Saratoga Racecourse—his next race is still to be determined.
The son of Curlin was the second-to-last of the Preakness participants to leave the Baltimore track, with Michael McCarthy reporting that his charge continues to show all the positive markers he monitors.
"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," said McCarthy.
"His routine in the morning won't vary a whole lot. Obviously, 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 Gr.1 Belmont Stakes , Gr.1 the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, or the Gr.2 Jim Dandy Stakes at the Spa.
Reflecting on the 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 was meant to do something like this from day one," McCarthy said.
Hours before boarding the trailer for his trek north, Journalism was playful with exercise rider Marc Witkowski, who rewarded the colt with one of his favourite 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 3YO before he left Pimlico for New York. McCarthy said they had not seen him in a while and wanted an up-close view before he departed.
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.
"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.
Heart of Honor is scheduled to be the last of the Preakness runners to leave. Jim and Claire Bryce and Osborne are considering entering Heart of Honor in the Belmont Stakes before sending him home for a break in advance of the winter season in the Middle East.
Saffie Osborne, who rode Heart of Honor in the Preakness, called it "an amazing experience" and is hoping he can step up on his Pimlico fifth in Belmont.
"He ran a good race considering the circumstances. He wasn't the quickest into stride and we were always slightly on the back foot against those sharper American horses, especially on a real pace-oriented track," Saffie Osborne said.
"But he ran with a lot of credit and hopefully onto Saratoga now for the Belmont. He hit the line really well and obviously you've got a bit more distance in the Belmont, which should help him."
Heart of Honor made his first start at Southwell last October and then ran five times at Meydan, finishing a close second in the UAE Derby, before his American debut.
Getting to Saratoga will be a welcome change from the quiet days at Pimlico, where foot traffic has significantly declined and almost all of the horses stabled at the track have moved on.
"From a sensory standpoint, there was a lot going on around here the last four or five days," McCarthy said about Journalism's experience. "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."