Photo:

Lindsay Affleck / Eclipse Sportswire

Journalism raced from off the pace in the small field before he
found extra speed in the homestretch, overtaking odds-on favorite Barnes at the
sixteenth pole Saturday at Santa Anita to win the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes, a points race for Kentucky Derby 2025.

The second choice in the field of five 3-year-olds,
Journalism (3-1) raced in mid-pack while Barnes (2-5) set early fractions of
23.71, 47.31 and 1:11.10 in the two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race.

Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Michael McCarthy, Journalism
moved forward in the second turn and turned the race into a two-horse affair
turning for home.

Barnes, the Derby futures favorite in Las Vegas, was making
his first start going two turns. The $3.2 million colt trained by Bob Baffert
and ridden by Juan Hernández could not fend off Journalism, who went two wide
to run on to about a two-length victory. After a mile in 1:36.13, Journalism
finished with a time of 1:42.24.

Behind second-place Barnes came his stablemates Rodríguez
(7-2) in third and Mellencamp (20-1) in fourth. Smooth Cruisein (45-1) finished
last.

Because Berlin Wall was scratched, a new rule covering Derby
preps with fewer than six starters meant the race was reduced from
50-25-15-10-5 points for the top five to 37 1/2 for Journalism, 17 1/2 for
Barnes, 11 1/4 for Rodríguez, 7 1/2 for Mellencamp and 3 3/4 for Smooth
Cruisein.

Journalism paid $8.20, $2.80 and $2.10; Barnes $2.20 and
$2.10; and Rodríguez $2.10.

The win was the third in a row for the Curlin colt out of
Uncle Mo mare Mopotism. He broke his maiden in November at Del Mar and became the
winter-book favorite for the Kentucky Derby after his victory Dec. 14 in the
Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). He has 47 1/2 qualifying points, historically
enough to get him to the Derby.

Journalism is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood
Farm, Robert LaPenta, breeder Don Alberto Stable and Elayne Stables. He was an
$825,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton August yearling sale.

This story will be updated.