Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners is working his way through a Southern California racing fan's bucket list. First, Eclipse won this year's Santa Anita Handicap (G1) with Locked, owned in partnership with Walmac Farm. Then Journalism took the Santa Anita Derby (G1), and the 3-year-old colt can continue Wellman's incredible journey if he can add the Aug. 30 Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
"It been wild for sure—no doubt about it," said Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse, which owns Journalism with several other partners.
Growing up in Southern California, Wellman has seen nearly every Pacific Classic since the inaugural running of the 1 1/4-mile event in 1991.
"I don't know if I've seen them all," he said. "There might have been a little lull when I was in college because I had to report early for soccer training camp. There's no question I've seen a vast majority of them, including the first one, when Best Pal won it."
Not lost on Wellman is the fact that Best Pal defeated his elders as a 3-year-old in that race, something Journalism is also trying to do. Three-year-olds have typically fared well in the Pacific Classic, triumphing six times, most recently in 2023 when 3-year-olds Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride ran one-two.
Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, takes on a field of seven older horses that includes two very impressive competitors: champion Fierceness and the brilliant Nysos. But Journalism brings his own top-notch credentials. After winning the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Derby early this year at his California home base, he won the Preakness Stakes (G1) in Maryland and Haskell Stakes (G1) in New Jersey. His only losses were seconds to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1).
Sovereignty continued his stellar season in the Aug. 23 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, devouring the field by 10 lengths. Journalism could have tried Sovereignty again there, but the Pacific Classic gives the colt the opportunity to stay home and face older horses at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar, the same circumstances of another race on his dance card: the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win & You're In race for the Classic, though Journalism already has his ticket from the Haskell, also a Win & You're In.
Wellman said that the team had seriously considered the Travers for Journalism, both because of the race's importance and to go up against Sovereignty again. But Wellman noted Journalism's extensive travel itinerary this year, from Kentucky to Maryland to New York for the Triple Crown races, back to California, followed by a trip to New Jersey for the Haskell, and then a return to California.
"At the end of the day, it boiled down to us being able to wait a week longer and run out of his own stall as opposed to having to get on a plane and fly across country again," Wellman said.
Umberto Rispoli has ridden Journalism in all but one of his starts and returns to ride the son of Curlin from post 6.
Under the Pacific Classic weight-for-age conditions, Journalism will carry 118 pounds and get six pounds from each of his rivals. He has been made the 9-5 second choice on the morning line behind Nysos at 8-5.
Four-year-old Nysos is only a neck shy of a perfect record in six starts. Plus, he comes from the always-dangerous Bob Baffert barn. Baffert has won the Pacific Classic a record seven times, including with Arabian Knight.
After two wins at 2 in 2023 by 10 1/2 lengths and 8 3/4 lengths, Nysos looked headed for the 2024 Preakness with a 7 1/2-length score in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3). Instead, physical issues sidelined the son of Nyquist for 15 months. In his first race back, Nysos ran second by a neck to Mindframe in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) and followed that with daylight wins in the Triple Bend Stakes (G3) and San Diego Handicap (G2), the latter at Del Mar. The Pacific Classic will be Nysos' first attempt at 1 1/4 miles, and Flavien Prat will ride.
Fierceness, the third choice on the morning line at 3-1, invades from New York and comes from another formidable barn, that of Todd Pletcher. His regular pilot, John Velazquez, will also ship in for the race.
Famous for a somewhat in-and-out record, Fierceness is coming off a rough trip when fifth in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Three starts back, the 2023 champion 2-year-old male set a track record at Churchill Downs of 1:40.66 for 1 1/16 miles in the Alysheba Stakes (G2). Fierceness won the 2024 Travers by a head over eventual Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna and ran second to the older Sierra Leone in that year's Breeders' Cup Classic.
Midnight Mammoth, Ultimate Gamble, Indispensable, Lure Him In, and Tarantino round out the Pacific Classic field.
Del Mar, Saturday, August 30, 2025, Race 10Entries: Pacific Classic S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Fierceness (KY) John R. Velazquez 124 Todd A. Pletcher 3/1 2 2Midnight Mammoth (KY) Armando Ayuso 124 Craig Dollase 12/1 3 3Ultimate Gamble (KY) Kazushi Kimura 124 Mark Glatt 20/1 4 4Nysos (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Bob Baffert 8/5 5 5Indispensable (KY) Paco Lopez 124 John W. Sadler 15/1 6 6Journalism (KY) Umberto Rispoli 118 Michael W. McCarthy 9/5 7 7Lure Him In (FL) Hector Isaac Berrios 124 Sam Wilensky 20/1 8 8Tarantino (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 124 Peter Eurton 20/1
