So, the 2025 Triple Crown season is really heating up with an exciting rivalry between Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and Michael McCarthy. It’s all about their colts, Rodriguez and Journalism, and it’s definitely grabbing attention! Thus, here’s the scoop: it all started at the Santa Anita Derby, where Journalism took the win by three-quarters of a length, and Baffert’s horses ended up in fourth and fifth place. At the same time, Baffert’s Rodriguez pulled off a strong win in the Wood Memorial, making him a serious contender for the Kentucky Derby.

But then, Rodriguez’s path took a turn when he got a foot injury, which caused him to pull out of both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. On the other hand, Journalism made its way to the Derby, coming in second, and then went on to win the Preakness Stakes with a time of 1:55.37. All of this has led up to the much-anticipated Belmont Stakes, when Rodriguez will face off against Journalism, who is intending to participate in all three Triple Crown events. This rivalry gets even more interesting with Baffert back in the Triple Crown scene after his suspension, which really adds a sense of redemption to Rodriguez’s journey.

In the meantime, McCarthy’s Journalism has shown some real grit and steadiness, turning the Belmont Stakes into a key race that might shape the story of the season and possibly kick off a lasting rivalry between these two respected trainers. It seems like things are really heating up, especially since Journalism is looking even stronger after that impressive win at the Preakness.

“Based off of what I saw here this morning, I’d be hard-pressed to find a reason not to enter. Very good [work], just kind of a maintenance work. Obviously, you saw him kind of pick it up through the lane and gallop out strongly—final quarter in 23 and three, 23 and four, something like that. Racetrack is probably a half-step quicker. He’s a wonderful mover. He gets over the ground very well. He’s got an incredible stride on him,” Michael McCarthy said while sharing an update on his colt, as reported by NYRA.

After a maintenance workout at Saratoga, McCarthy pointed out how impressive the colt was, mentioning his strong gallop and smooth stride as he finished 4 furlongs in just 47.54. He pointed out that Journalism looks great and is holding up nicely, which means the horse is in top shape as the race approaches.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli shared McCarthy’s thoughts, highlighting Journalism’s intelligence and flexibility, saying, “It was very positive. He’s a horse that everyone knows is very intelligent, smart—he does everything right. It looks like he didn’t even run two weeks ago. He took his work very well. He was very good on the track. He was happy.” The jockey mentioned how the horse was in such a good mood during the workout, pointing out that Journalism didn’t seem bothered at all by the recent Preakness Stakes, where he came out on top.

Rispoli points out that Journalism seems to be bouncing back nicely, showing the same enthusiasm and energy it had before. McCarthy and Rispoli’s comments show that Journalism is not just in great shape physically but also mentally ready for the Belmont Stakes. Besides the buzz around the final leg of the American Triple Crown, Baffert has some exciting news about one of his promising colts.

Catching Bob Baffert’s attention for more races in the future

Every trainer keeps an eye on how their horse is performing, and Bob Baffert is no exception to that. With all the buzz around the upcoming Belmont Stakes, the 72-year-old trainer just got some fantastic news about one of his colts, who’s really making waves in other races. Nysos totally stole the show at the G3 Triple Bend Stakes over at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.

The 4-year-old colt took the win by over five lengths, wrapping up the seven-furlong race in 1:21.28. Nysos also clocked a Beyer Speed Figure of 108, which really shows off how fast and talented he is out there on the track.

The colt has definitely made a name for himself, winning four out of his five career starts. He had one loss earlier in his career, but since then, he’s really come back strong, showing a promising future in the racing world. We will have to wait and see what Baffert does with this sort of ability.