Journalism roars back from disastrous start to win

DEL MAR — Umberto Rispoli waited almost 11 months to trip Journalism again and then, properly, let monitor announcer Larry Collmus describe it:

“They’re off in the San Diego Handicap and Journalism brushed the gate just as it opened, and he’s left behind the field. Journalism has been left behind about five lengths. … A disastrous start for the big favorite Journalism.”

“I won’t tell you the swear [word] that I throw out there,” Rispoli said.

“It just kind of took the starch out of everything,” said Aron Wellman, managing accomplice of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, co-owner of the 4-year-old colt.

Fortunately for Rispoli, Wellman and anybody else related with Journalism, including the followers who wager him down to 1-5 odds Saturday at Del Mar Racetrack, this story ended a lot happier than it started.

Rispoli patiently guided Journalism back into close contact with the other 4 horses in the 1 1/16-mile race, swung him exterior coming into the stretch and the son of Curlin cruised to a victory — his first since the same Saturday a yr in the past in the Haskell at Monmouth Park.

In the following 12 months, Journalism began 4 occasions and completed between second and fourth each time. He didn’t run poorly in any of the races; in fact, of the seven horses who beat him, 5 had been Breeders’ Cup winners and a sixth received the Kentucky Derby and Belmont.

But when your resume consists of not only the Haskell but also the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness, sometimes close isn’t good enough.

“Frustrating for sure,” Wellman said earlier in the week.

The San Diego Handicap offered the weakest area Journalism had confronted since at least the 2025 Preakness, and his process appeared to get simpler when Full Serrano, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner right here in 2024, was withdrawn Saturday morning because of recurring foot issues.

But as Rispoli famous, “You can’t go in a race and think of course he’s [1-5]. You have to respect everybody in the field. Because you see, everything can happen in horse racing.”

Jockey Umberto Rispoli appears down at Journalism after using the colt to victory in the San Diego Handicap on Saturday.

(Benoit Photo via Associated Press)

Including your horse beginning to transfer ahead just before the gate opens, then hitting the facet of the stall and recognizing the sector a number of lengths.

“I was concerned [with] the bad start, obviously,” Rispoli said. “But it wasn’t the first time I was in that situation. I know what I have underneath myself. I know what he’s capable of.”

The official margin was three-quarters of a size over the California-bred Shea Brennan, who was the longest shot in the short area at 23-1. Iron Man Cal, just like the runner-up educated by Phil D’Amato, was third, with The Goat fourth and pacesetting Mirahmadi fading to last.

The closing time was 1 minute, 42.65 seconds and Journalism, who paid $2.40 for his seventh win in 14 begins, earned $180,000 to push his profession complete to $4.77 million.

“Umberto did a good job of getting him to recover and his class won out,” profitable coach Michael McCarthy said.

And, given what Rispoli has been through, possibly Saturday was supposed to be tough. The Italian jockey only not too long ago resumed using a few weeks in the past after lacking 5 months because of a fall in January at Gulfstream Park. He sustained a fractured proper fibula and tibia, a displaced ankle and torn ligaments.

“I was in severe pain,” Rispoli said of his rehab, which included time spent at a specialist in Spain. “The first two weeks [in Spain], I said to myself, this is gonna be hard to do it. You know, I’m almost 38, first time a very hard accident happened to me. It was really bad.

“But this is what gave me the strength, horse racing. And I know I have a job incomplete … so I have to come back for this guy.”