Journalism and Barnes—two well-regarded horses on the Triple Crown trail—are scheduled to meet in the March 1 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. Both are graded stakes winners, with Barnes two for two and Journalism two for three, and each will receive his share of backers.
Their connections are impeccable. Michael McCarthy trains Journalism, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of graded winner Mopotism. Barnes is one of three San Felipe entrants from the Bob Baffert barn. In the pedigree department, Barnes has another edge. He is by multiple leading sire Into Mischief , who also sired the last three San Felipe winners trained by Baffert: Imagination in 2024, Life Is Good in 2021, and Authentic in 2020.
"He's one of my favorite sires," Baffert said. "He's solid. He throws a good horse. Plus once he got rolling, everybody started breeding these really good mares to him."
Barnes is making his first attempt around two turns in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, which offers qualifying points of 50-25-15-10-5 as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby. He debuted last November at Churchill Downs, winning a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race by a head. Then he powered home by 5 1/2 lengths in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes (G2) Jan. 4 at Santa Anita.
"You always think that he can do it (win around two turns), but he's got to (actually) do it," Baffert said. "He's a big, strong horse. He should handle it."
Barnes, who drew post 3, will get the services of Santa Anita's current leading rider Juan Hernandez, who also piloted him in the San Vicente.
Journalism could pose a strong challenge. After running third in his debut, Journalism broke his maiden by 2 1/2 lengths at Del Mar Nov. 17 and then beat Baffert-trained Getaway Car and Gaming in the 1 1/16-mile Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) Dec. 14.
McCarthy trains Journalism for an ownership group headed by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The colt hasn't started since the Los Alamitos Futurity. Aron Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse, told Louie Rabaut and Sean Collins on their Bloodhorse.com podcast that the colt "got a little sick on us as a result of a vaccination."
Wellman said the setback may have been "a blessing in disguise because it allowed us to take a step back, get him back refreshed and rejuvenated for what we hope is going to be a big-time sophomore campaign."
That campaign is slated to begin in the San Felipe, with Umberto Rispoli riding from post 2.
Baffert's other two entrants are Rodriguez, to be ridden by Flavien Prat from post 4, and Mellencamp, under Mike Smith from the rail. Rodriguez broke his maiden by seven lengths in his second start and ran second to Baffert-trained champion Citizen Bull in the one-mile Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 1. Mellencamp is a maiden after four starts, with two seconds. He ran fifth in the Los Alamitos Futurity.
"Rodriguez sort of got stuck between horses and had to take up a little bit, and then he came back and ran well," Baffert said of the Lewis. "But he's a good horse. We know he can go the distance."
Rodriguez carries Baffert's Into Mischief connection into the second generation. The colt is by Authentic, a son of Into Mischief.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 1, 2025, Race 8Entries: DK Horse San Felipe S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Mellencamp (KY) Mike E. Smith 120 Bob Baffert - 2 Journalism (KY) Umberto Rispoli 124 Michael W. McCarthy - 3 Barnes (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 120 Bob Baffert - 4 Rodriguez (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Bob Baffert - 5 Smooth Cruisein (FL) Ricardo Gonzalez 120 Karen Headley - 6 Berlin Wall (CA) Tiago Josue Pereira 120 Steve R. Knapp -
