On May 17, during the 150th Preakness Stakes, Journalism took home the win, bringing in a nice, fat pay cheque for everyone involved. So, after cruising through the middle of the pack for most of the 1 3/16-mile race, the 8-5 favorite really bumped up gears and throttled for the final stretch with nitrous boost, zooming past Gosger to grab the win. This was Journalism’s fifth career win and his first jewel of the Triple Crown race, after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby.

Since Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty didn’t run at the Preakness, Journalism’s win really amps up the excitement for the final leg of the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes. The race had a total purse of $2 million, and the winner took home $1.2 million of that.

You know, when it comes to prize money, it usually gets split among the horse’s stakeholders. Most of it goes to the owners, and then the trainer and jockey each take home a standard 10% share. Pretty interesting, right? So, it looks like Journalism’s owners would get around $960,000, while the trainer and the jockey would each take home about $120,000.

Journalism’s win at the Preakness just adds to his already impressive record, which features victories at the Santa Anita Derby and a solid second-place finish at the Kentucky Derby. Prior to this latest victory, he racked up over $1.6 million in career earnings, really cementing his place as a top contender for the remainder of the 2025 racing season.

Michael McCarthy, Journalism’s trainer, has an impressive history in the field. He used to train Rombauer, who won the Preakness Stakes in 2021, and he’s racked up more than 400 career wins along with earnings of $44,575,275 throughout his career. McCarthy’s experience and strategic approach have really helped Journalism navigate a successful racing campaign, with wins in the Santa Anita Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Italian jockey Umberto Rispoli, who rode Journalism to a win in the Preakness Stakes, has been in the game for two decades now. Throughout his career, Rispoli has shown incredible skill and composure in intense races, racking up over 600 wins and a total $48,117,909 in earnings. His partnership with Journalism has been all about smart moves that really play to the colt’s strengths, helping them achieve a lot of success together on the track. Did you know that leading up to the Preakness Stakes, both the trainer and the jockey were really confident about the horse?

Journalism had backing going into the Preakness Stakes

Trainer Michael McCarthy has always shown a lot of faith in Journalism’s potential. After the Kentucky Derby, where Journalism snagged second place, McCarthy credited the colt’s resilience and adaptability, saying, “He’s as good as there is in his class this year. He showed up and ran as advertised.” It seems like this feeling probably continued into the Preakness, where McCarthy’s faith in the colt’s abilities backed Journalism’s performance.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli, who has been riding Journalism in all major races, really understands the colt’s racing style. Before the Kentucky Derby, Rispoli highlighted how crucial teamwork and flexibility are, mentioning, “We do this for (Journalism). We don’t want any risks to happen. We work as a team. We win as a team. We lose as a team. I think it was the most intelligent choice we could make.” And you know what? His strategic guidance amount Journalism in the Preakness really shone through to a winning finish.

This shows how well he collaborates and executes race plans. McCarthy and Rispoli are a formidable duo, and that has been a big part of Journalism’s success. Their shared knowledge and respect for each other has created a partnership that really brings out the colt’s potential, which needs no more proving since his Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes finishes testify more than words can.