For horse racing enthusiasts, the Breeders’ Cup is next only to the Kentucky Derby in glamor and prestige. So much so that even the iconic Bob Baffert hailed the competition, saying, “The Breeders’ Cup has the best horses, the best trainers, the best jockeys. It’s like an All-Star game.” And this year, the stakes are even higher, especially for Journalism.

The Michael McCarthy-trained colt won the Preakness Stakes earlier this year to cement his legacy as one of the top racing talents of our generation. Just weeks ago, he did it again by winning the $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park. Now, fans wait to see if Journalism can carry the momentum into the Breeders’ Cup Classic that is slated for late November. His long-time jockey, Umberto Rispoli, seems to be even more eager to see how another of his partners will fare at the upcoming event.

In an article by Idol Horse from July 30, the Italian jockey noted his excitement over how Johannes, last year’s second-place finisher at the Breeders’ Cup, is recovering from his bone bruise. This time around, Journalism’s rider hopes that the son of Nyquist would perform better. “I’m happy Johannes is coming back right now. It’s another challenge, another good horse to ride,” Rispoli said about Johannes’ chances of redeeming himself at the Del Mar later this year.

Recalling how he worked with Johannes at Santa Anita recently, Rispoli further stated, “I don’t really think he’s 100 percent, he’s maybe going to be around 80 percent after so long, and I think that’s normal,” while also noting that the Breeders’ Cup is the final objective as of now. “He’s coming back for the first time in a Grade 1 after a long lay-off, against some nice horses, so it’ll be interesting how he handles the track at Saratoga and the travel,” Journalism’s jockey pondered.

He was, of course, talking about the Fourstardave Stakes (G1), which was slated to take place at Saratoga on Saturday. Ahead of the weekend race, Rispoli had tall claims about Johannes. “…so far I was very pleased with his work, he looks like he remembers how to do it, so I’m very pleased,” said Journalism’s legendary rider, as quoted in the Idol Horse article. Sadly, though, reality struck his hopes.

At the weekend race, Johannes crossed the finishing line in a disappointing 9th place. The 5-year-old horse couldn’t do his best at the 1-mile race, and instead might have broken Rispoli’s heart into pieces. However, we believe that the jockey hardly has enough time to brood over Johannes’ results. After all, he does have a lot on his plate with Journalism at the moment, especially with the Breeders’ Cup fast approaching.

Return to natural pastures uncertain for Journalism

The 2025 Santa Anita Derby winner has had a few heartbreaks of his own since April. After finishing the Kentucky Derby in second place, despite being the favorite to win the race, Journalism salvaged himself by winning the 150th Preakness Stakes just a couple of weeks later. However, jockey Junior Alvarado and Sovereignty returned to haunt McCarthy and Rispoli at the Belmont Stakes, and Journalism had to settle for a second-place finish in the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

Fans were hoping to see the horse resume his rivalry with the Bill Mott-trained Sovereignty at the Travers Stakes, scheduled for August 23 at the Spa. However, it seems improbable. Furthermore, Journalism’s connections even hinted that the Breeders’ Cup decision will be taken based on how the horse is feeling in the coming days.

“We are going to take all the time to make this decision. We’re in no rush to make any decision on where he runs next. We’ve let him tell us how to dictate his campaign and we will not change now,” Aaron Wellman, Journalism’s co-owner, told Blood Horse just last week. However, the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners man also noted that the Grade 1 Pacific Classic still could be very well on the table for the 3-year-old horse.

How soon do you think we’ll get to watch Journalism in all his glory next?