Latest Jockey Switch is an Old Song With New Lyrics

"Dry your eyes."—Neil Diamond The news that Umberto Rispoli has been replaced aboard Journalism by Jose Ortiz for the ride in the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 1 at Del Mar has been greeted with a deluge of social media protests, along with several expansive articles on the subject of loyalty in horse racing. At one point, there were even children involved. Must be a slow week. Such hand-wringing over what amounts to a difficult business decision is amusing. Because only feelings were hurt, as well as a potential hit to Rispoli's pocketbook, there is a temptation to react to the reaction with cynical disdain. But these are contentious times, and there is no need to add heat to the flames. So let's take the high road instead and choose history over hysteria. In 1962, Bill Shoemaker took over for the retired Eddie Arcaro aboard two-time Horse of the Year Kelso. Shoe rode Kelso four times, winning only an allowance race, before he surrendered the mount to Milo Valenzuela. Shoemaker was just 30, and the perennial leading money-winner had already ridden Swaps, Round Table, and Sword Dancer to Horse of the Year titles. In the case of Kelso, however, the rider essentially took himself off the champion before he was fired. In 1964, Don Pierce was on a roll of four straight wins with the California star Hill Rise, who punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby after winning the Santa Anita Derby by six lengths in stakes record time. But then, when Shoemaker became available, Pierce got the boot. "I was disappointed, but not surprised," Pierce said years later. "Shoe was the man." Shoemaker again was in the middle of a high-profile switch in 1973 when owner Mary Jones removed Shoemaker in favor of Laffit Pincay, Jr., for the mount on Cougar II in the Hollywood Gold Cup. Local turf writer Gordon Jones made Mary's move a cause celebre, pounding her in print for her treatment of such a national sports treasure. When Shoemaker won the Gold Cup on another horse and Cougar finished third, it was clear that karma had intervened. One race later, Shoe and Cougar reunited to win the Sunset Handicap. Everyone of a certain age remembers where they were and how they felt when Steve Cauthen—Sports Illustrated's 1977 Sportsman of the Year—was replaced by Pincay on Affirmed in the winter of 1979. All Cauthen and Affirmed did together was win the 1978 Triple Crown and Horse of the Year. But they'd also lost four straight races, and Steve was mired in a baffling Santa Anita slump. Not long after the switch was made, Cauthen decamped for England, where he became a beloved champion, while Affirmed won his last seven races for Pincay. What goes around hit Pincay right between the eyes despite winning four straight major stakes aboard John Henry in 1981. After losing the Hollywood Gold Cup without much fuss, Pincay displeased owner Sam Rubin. When John Henry appeared next in the Sword Dancer Stakes at Belmont Park, guess who was in the saddle. Yep, that guy Shoemaker. It has been ever thus. Since you can't fire the horse, jockeys more often than not take the blame for a disappointing performance. Julie Krone won a pair of grade 1 stakes in 1995 on Peaks and Valleys, but after a third-place finish in the 1996 Whitney Handicap (G1), she lost the colt to Jerry Bailey. Tyler Gaffalione was just getting the hang of riding the difficult Sierra Leone after winning the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and finishing second, by a nose, in the Kentucky Derby (G1) when he was replaced by Flavien Prat. And proving that history both repeats and rhymes, that was Umberto Rispoli who lost the mount for the 2021 Kentucky Derby to Joel Rosario after winning the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on Rock Your World. Michael McCarthy, the trainer of Journalism, described the decision to change riders as "agonizing," although no one need ever explain the use of the supremely talented Jose Ortiz whenever he is available. The Rispoli and McCarthy clans had bonded during their run with the colt during his banner 2025 season, which has included grade 1 victories in the Santa Anita Derby, Preakness Stakes (G1), and Haskell Stakes (G1). "Yes, it was business," McCarthy said at Del Mar this week, where Journalism is preparing for the Classic. "But it was also personal. We all traveled a lot together. Our kids got to know each other. It was tough." Neither McCarthy nor managing partner Aron Wellman would get into the specifics of changing riders. Journalism, who comes from off the pace, has had a variety of trips under Rispoli this year, including their harrowing squeeze between horses in the Preakness that helped snatch victory from the jaws of potential disaster. In their most recent collaboration, Journalism closed from last-place in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar Aug. 30 to finish second, 3 1/2 lengths behind the older colt Fierceness. Journalism has sparked a career year for the native of Italy. Rispoli's mount earnings of $11.6 million rank 14th in the nation and top among riders based on the underfunded California circuit. With agent Matt Nakatani on his book, Rispoli has won 24 stakes in 2025, 17 of them graded, with 19 different horses. He is approachable by media and fans, articulate about his craft, and clearly wears his emotions on the sleeves of his elegantly tailored suits. In an interview with chief journalist David Morgan of the Hong Kong-based racing website IdolHorse.com, Rispoli also brought up family ties, sharing the reaction of his sons Hayden, 8, and Aramis, 3. "That was the hardest part, to have to tell my wife and kids that I won't be riding the horse," Rispoli said in the interview. "My kids cried for two hours." Fortunately, both boys have long and fruitful lives ahead to recover from the disappointment. "I move on. I don't have time to cry for myself," Rispoli added in the interview. "I have to be focused on all the Breeders' Cup mounts I have and all the other races I have." Those other Rispoli mounts include Gold Phoenix (IRE) in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), Dr. Venkman in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), and Johannes in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). Rispoli and Johannes teamed to finish second in the Mile last year. But in order to ride the son of Nyquist, who has won one of two starts this year, the jockey had to tell the trainer of Formidable Man, unbeaten under Rispoli in five Del Mar stakes, that he could not ride his horse in the same race. That trainer is Michael McCarthy.