Journalism Favored In San Diego Handicap ‘Home Game’
Last summer, Journalism put together one of the most demanding campaigns in modern racing, becoming the only horse to contest all three Triple Crown races before adding a memorable victory in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes. Now the talented son of Curlin returns to familiar surroundings at Del Mar, where he’ll headline Saturday’s Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, a key steppingstone toward the Pacific Classic.
A year ago, Journalism entered the Haskell after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby, capturing the Preakness Stakes, and chasing home Sovereignty for runner-up honors in the Belmont Stakes. He capped that stretch with a determined late rally at Monmouth Park, running down the stubborn Gosger in the final strides to secure another Grade 1 triumph.
That effort established him as the favorite for the Pacific Classic six weeks later, but he settled for second behind Fierceness in Del Mar’s signature summer event. Journalism made one more appearance over the seaside track in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, finishing fourth to close out his 2025 campaign.
Trainer Michael McCarthy is pleased to have his stable star back on home turf after two road trips to begin this season.
“It’s nice to have a home game for him,” McCarthy said. “Instead of having to put him on a plane.”
Journalism has made two starts in 2026, finishing third behind White Abarrio and Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap before another third-place effort in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga.
McCarthy believes the now 4-year-old has continued to mature physically.
“He’s a very impressive, physical specimen,” he said. “He’s a bigger, stronger horse this year.”
Umberto Rispoli reunites with Journalism for the San Diego Handicap. Rispoli piloted the colt throughout the 2025 campaign before Jose Ortiz took over for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and remained aboard afterward.
Among Journalism’s six opponents is another Breeders’ Cup winner in Full Serrano, who returns to the scene of his biggest North American victory after capturing the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar. Earlier that season, the Argentine-bred narrowly missed winning the Pacific Classic, losing in the final strides to longshot Mixto.
Trainer John Sadler expects Del Mar’s surface to once again bring out the best in his veteran.
“This is one of his favorite tracks,” Sadler said. “He’s won two races and has two seconds here, so we’re looking forward to that. We think that’s going to be fun.”
Full Serrano opened last summer with a dominant seven-length allowance victory at Del Mar but was unable to defend his Dirt Mile title, finishing fifth. His two starts this year produced a third-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park and a fourth in the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile.
Sadler, already a five-time winner of the San Diego Handicap, enters the Del Mar meet with 93 career stakes victories at the track, second on the all-time trainers list. He also saddles Chilean champion The Goat, who made his U.S. debut in the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita after nearly a year away from the races.
“This is his second race out of Chile where he was a champion,” Sadler said. “He hadn’t run in a year, so we’re anxious to give him a shot.”
Phil D’Amato also sends out a pair of runners led by Shea Brennan, who returned from a layoff with a victory in the $100,000 Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos.
“We didn’t expect him to show the kind of speed he did,” D’Amato said. “But he did it the right way and finished with some in reserve.”
Owned by Nick Alexander, the California-bred son of Tough Sunday has already shown an affinity for Del Mar. He broke his maiden there in 2024 and later finished second in the Real Good Deal Stakes.
“He likes this Del Mar surface,” D’Amato said. “I think second off the bench he’ll be primed and ready to run his best race. He’s going to need to be with some nice horses in there.”
The other D’Amato entrant, Iron Man Cal, makes an intriguing switch to dirt. The 4-year-old son of Collected was beaten just a neck in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar before adding a runner-up finish in last year’s Oceanside Stakes. This season he has competed exclusively against allowance company.
“We’re going to try something new here on the dirt,” D’Amato said. “He trains really well on the dirt but you never know if these grass horses in the afternoon will take to it like they do in the morning. But he has been training with some of my better horses like Shea Brennan and Stronghold and doing as well as them. That’s why we’re taking a shot.”
The field is rounded out by Mirahmadi, runner-up in both the 2023 Del Mar Futurity and last year’s San Diego Handicap, who returns from an extended layoff for his first start as a 5-year-old, and Mc Vay from the Peter Eurton barn, who exits a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Gold Cup.
The 85th edition of the San Diego Handicap is scheduled as Race 8 on Saturday’s 11-race card with a probable post time of 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
San Diego Handicap (G2) – Field & Morning Line Odds
- Mc Vay — Hector I. Berrios (15-1)
- Mirahmadi — Juan Hernandez (6-1)
- Shea Brennan — Armando Ayuso (12-1)
- Iron Man Cal — Antonio Fresu (10-1)
- Journalism — Umberto Rispoli (1-1)
- Full Serrano — Joel Rosario (7-2)
- The Goat — Emisael Jaramillo (6-1)
