Journalism charges late to win a dramatic 150th running of the Preakness Stakes
Journalism, the Kentucky Derby runner up who is trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, won the historic 150th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Preakness Stakes on Saturday night at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Journalism — the even-money favorite in the race — used a dramatic late charge to track down 15-1 long shot Gosger just before the wire to win the Preakness by half a length.
Rispoli, a 36-year-old jockey from Italy, expertly navigated Journalism through a small gap between Clever Again on the inside and Goal Oriented on the outside to give Journalism a lane to track down Gosger and make his winning run. This all came after Journalism was positioned five lengths back of the lead midway through the far turn.
Clever Again, a Steve Asmussen trainee, went straight to the lead from the starting gate in this year’s Preakness. Clever Again settled into the lead on the inside of Gosger. Those two pace-setters shared the lead entering the turn for home in the Preakness, before some bumping and banging began.
Significant contact saw Goal Oriented knock into Journalism, who then bumped hard into Clever Again on the rail. Journalism shook off that contact to finish strong, finding enough in the tank to edge past Gosger just before the finish line.
Late-running Sandman briefly held second place behind Gosger in the stretch run, before Journalism kicked on to victory.
A short inquiry took place following the race after all of this contact, but no results were changed.
“I feel like a soccer player, I love it,” Rispoli remarked with a smile just before the postrace press conference began at Pimlico.
“Umberto, all credit to him, he chose to save ground. That’s what it takes to win races like this,” McCarthy added. “Obviously found himself in a little but of a conundrum there for six or eight jumps. Thankful that he and the horse came out of it unscathed. That’s the most important thing, win, lose or draw.”
The winning time for the 2025 Preakness was 1:55.47 for the 1 3/16-mile trip on a fast main track at Pimlico. Fractions in the race included an opening quarter-mile of 23.19, an opening half-mile in 46.66 and an opening three-fourths of a mile in 1:10.23.
Journalism, who bested a nine-horse field to win the Preakness, was also the morning line favorite for the race. He is owned by Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5, Robert V. LaPenta, Mrs. John Magnier-Lessee, Derrick Smith-Lessee and Michael B. Tabor-Lessee.
Sandman (6-1) came in third, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Bob Baffert’s Goal Oriented (8-1) finished in fourth, 6 3/4 lengths back.
A $2 exacta with Journalism and Gosger paid $33.80. A $1 trifecta with Journalism, Gosger and Sandman paid $73.50. A $1 superfecta featuring Journalism, Gosger, Sandman and Goal Oriented paid $303.40.
This is the second Preakness Stakes win for McCarthy, Journalism’s trainer. He conditioned Rombauer to the 2021 Preakness title. This is Rispoli’s first Triple Crown race victory.
Journalism’s 2025 Triple Crown season now includes a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby as the post time favorite in that race and a dramatic Preakness Stakes victory as the overwhelming post time choice.
His victory in the Preakness confirmed what was already true: There will be no Triple Crown in horse racing in 2025. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty didn’t take part in this year’s edition of the Preakness. Instead, Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott, is pointing the horse toward the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown on June 7 at Saratoga.
Three horses from the 2025 Kentucky Derby — American Promise, Journalism and Sandman — ran in Saturday’s Preakness on just two weeks of rest. Six horses — Clever Again, Goal Oriented, Gosger, Heart of Honor, Pay Billy and River Thames — were making their Triple Crown debuts.
Heart of Honor finished fifth, with River Thames in sixth, Pay Billy in seventh and D. Wayne Lukas trainee American Promise in eighth. Clever Again, who was on the lead making the turn for home before being involved in the late-race contact, came home last, 31 1/2 lengths back, after being eased across the wire by jockey Jose Ortiz.
This was the final edition of the Preakness Stakes at this version of Pimlico, which opened in 1870. The track is now set to be rebuilt. Pimlico, which is nicknamed “Old Hilltop,” is the second-oldest racetrack in the country behind Saratoga, which opened in 1864.
For at least 2026, the Preakness is expected to be run at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland, which is located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
The Preakness Stakes was first contested in 1873 and has been hosted at Pimlico since 1909.
This story was originally published May 17, 2025 at 7:19 PM.
