Slop! That was the biggest issue for Kentucky Derby pre-race favorite Journalism. The three-year-old’s four-race (three Grade 1 races) win streak snapped at the Derby as he couldn’t close out the race. Instead, Sovereignty took the cake, leaning on his experience to close out the race 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Journalism in the final stretch. Now, Journalism is back and ready to compete in the Preakness Stakes, but there’s a problem.

While he won’t get a rematch with the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner, the weather in Baltimore hasn’t been great. So there’s a good chance he faces the slope again. “I just didn’t think the mud was going to be that big of an issue for him,” Journalism’s trainer, Michael McCarthy, revealed on May 14. Thankfully, the latest forecast comes bearing good news.

The National Weather Service (NWS Baltimore-Washington) posted some hopeful news on Thursday. “An active weather pattern continues through the end of this week as multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms move through the area,” the NWS wrote in their multi-day weather forecast. The hopeful news came on the final day of their forecast, which is Preakness Stakes Day.

“Conditions begin to improve Saturday, with only lingering showers before conditions dry out Saturday night,” added the NWS. Horse Racing Nation shed some more light on the overall forecast. A Horse Racing Nation report explained that there’s a 60% chance of showers and a 50% chance of thunderstorms on Friday. These could affect the Black-Eyed Susan and other stakes races.

However, if the NWS forecast of the skies clearing up holds, then Journalism might not have to face significantly less mud at the Preakness Stakes. After all, Journalism’s trainer revealed that he would take a dry track over the muddy one any day. “He seemed like he picked it up fine from the half-mile, but if it came down to a muddy track or a clean trip, I’d rather have the clean trip,” said McCarthy, recalling the Kentucky Derby. That being said, Journalism’s crew is confident about him no matter the weather.

The Preakness Stakes favorite

While Journalism didn’t live up to the favorite tag at the Kentucky Derby, it didn’t hurt the horse’s stock. Despite making a late entry on May 11, Journalism opened as an 8-5 favorite for the Preakness Stakes. The colt’s team was extremely pleased with his Sunday morning workout and decided that he was indeed ready for the second stop of the Triple Crown.

“Really, our primary focus is on Journalism. We’ve been very, very intent on making sure that he’s giving us all the right signs out of the Kentucky Derby, and he seems to have done that every which way, in terms of his appetite, his energy, his weight, and his mindset,” said Aron Wellman, the president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the firm that owns Journalism.

Wellman explained that they wanted the horse to “tell” them if he was ready for the Preakness Stakes. Thankfully, the horse’s trainers liked what they saw. The team also thinks winning the Preakness after disappointment in Kentucky would be a big boost for the whole team. In fact, McCarthy still believes a better start would’ve earned Journalism the Derby.

Whether it was the mud or the much larger field of the Kentucky Derby, things just didn’t go Journalism’s way. “He got pinched at the start in the Kentucky Derby. I wanted to be five lengths off the lead at one point, and I’d say we were closer to 10,” added the coach. But what do you think? Will the Preakness Stakes pre-race favorite win the day? Write your views in the comments.