Journalism adapts to the script to win Santa Anita | College News

There is no doubt about it, Journalism, the horse, is the actual deal.

He put an exclamation level on his five-race profession with a three-quarters-length win in the Grade 1 $500,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday. Yet it was how he did it that had the Santa Anita crowd of 34,312 buzzing. At the three-eighths pole, the horse in entrance of him, Westwood, began to gradual down, impeding Journalism‘s progress.

It’s the form of factor that would keep an average horse, and even a good horse, from rallying to get back into the race. No drawback for this 3-year-old son of Curlin.

“I think it’s something you need to do,” stated coach Michael McCarthy about the horse’s journey. “Obviously in a five-horse field like he did [Saturday], if he can’t do it against five, then he will have an awfully hard time doing it against 20 [in the Kentucky Derby]. He’s taken some dirt in a couple races now.

“The dirt in Kentucky is a little different than the dirt here. It was good that there were some people here [Saturday]. The horse did everything we could have asked from him.”

Citizen Bull, the reigning 2-year-old champion, had the lead after three-quarters of a mile in the 1 1/8 -mile race, whereas Journalism was sitting in fifth. But Citizen Bull couldn’t keep up as Baeza went to the entrance. As the horses got here down the stretch, it was clear that Journalism was the best.

Journalism paid $4 to win and was adopted by Baeza, Westwood, Citizen Bull and Barnes.

The race was supposed to be price 100 factors for the winner and 50 factors for second, however this 12 months Churchill Downs put in a rule that if the race has solely 5 starters, the factors allotment is barely 75%, in order that the win was price 75 factors and second was 37.5 factors.

It’s unclear if Baeza, with 37.5 factors, will make the discipline for the Kentucky Derby. If it had been a six-horse discipline, he would have gained 50 factors and been assured a spot.

It was a disappointing race for the two Bob Baffert horses, Citizen Bull and Barnes. Citizen Bull may have enough factors to make the beginning gate, whereas Barnes, a $3.2-million buy, will likely be left at home.

“I was discouraged [Citizen Bull] didn’t get the win [Saturday],” Baffert stated. “He got tired. He’s a heavy horse. The track was deep. We will figure this out. We have a week and then we will decide what is next. That was a pretty impressive win by Journalism.”

It made no sense for Baffert to run three horses in the Santa Anita Derby, so he despatched Rodriguez to the Grade 2 $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York. It was actually the proper transfer as Mike Smith guided the colt to an simple front-running win to give him enough factors to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

Breaking from the one, Smith settled Rodriguez into a good rhythm after which let him go in the stretch, the place he breezed to a 3 1/2-length win.

Also qualifying for the Kentucky Derby was Admire Daytona, who defeated Heart Of Honor in the $1-million UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Admire Daytona joined earlier Japanese winners of the race: Crown Pride, Derma Sotogake and Forever Young. No horse that raced in the Middle East has ever gained the Kentucky Derby. Last 12 months, Forever Young completed a close third.

The qualification system modified this 12 months. Now, two horses that run in Dubai get an invitation to the Kentucky Derby, offering they end in the high 4. It’s half of the new Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby. In the previous, the UAE Derby was thought-about half of the U.S. Road to the Derby.

Yukihiro Kato, coach of Admire Daytona, already indicated the horse will ship to Churchill Downs. It’s unknown if a second horse will go or if the spot will likely be forfeited.

There can be one spot given to the winner of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, Luxor Café.

The are nonetheless two more qualifying races for the Derby, the 100-point Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on Tuesday and the 20-point Lexington Stakes on Saturday. The Blue Grass was initially scheduled for the identical day as the relaxation of Saturday’s large races, however climate — main to flooding — compelled the monitor to transfer the race to Tuesday. The first two finishers will qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

The Lexington Stakes race was deemed meaningless when the draw had solely horses with six factors or much less, so the 20 further factors wouldn’t be enough to qualify. The qualifying line, a shifting goal, often settles round 40.

Saturday was additionally the final large qualifying day for the Kentucky Oaks, the 3-year-old filly model of the Kentucky Derby. Baffert’s Tenma gained her fifth race in six begins with an simple 2 1/4-length victory in the Santa Anita Oaks. She beat Silent Law, one other Baffert starter.

Baffert stated Tenma would positively be going to Louisville, however he needed to see how Silent Law comes out of the race earlier than making a resolution on her subsequent begin.

“We are trying to get her to the Kentucky Oaks and she had been progressing, getting better and better,” Baffert stated of Tenma. “I liked the way she settled [Saturday]. There was a lot of speed in the race. She is becoming more professional as we go.”

The Oaks will likely be held on May 2 and the Derby on May 3.