Journalism, Rodriguez big winners ahead of Derby

Journalism won the $500,000 Santa Anita Derby by three-quarters of a length Saturday to confirm his status as the Kentucky Derby favorite, with trainer Bob Baffert’s duo finishing fourth and fifth in the West Coast’s major prep.

Baffert fared better on the East Coast, with Rodriguez leading all the way to win the $750,000 Wood Memorial by 3 1/2 lengths, earning enough points to move into the 20-horse field for the Kentucky Derby.

Journalism stamped himself as the favorite for the 151st running of the Derby on May 3. He overcame some trouble in the race and put away Citizen Bull, last year’s 2-year-old champion, for his fourth straight win.

“You just saw what a serious, serious racehorse he really is,” winning co-owner Aron Wellman said. “The battles are over. Now we’re going to war.”

Journalism got shuffled behind Westwood and bumped with Barnes at the seven-sixteenths pole before moving into the clear and going three-wide into the stretch in front of 34,312 at Santa Anita.

“Obviously in a five-horse field like this was today if he can’t do it against five, he’s going to have an awfully hard time doing it against 20,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “The horse did everything we could have asked of him.”

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Journalism ran 1 1/8-miles in 1:49.56. Sent off as the even-money favorite, he paid $4 to win.

“Glad that he got the education he did today,” Wellman said. “Small field, but lots of trouble, so he’s got the appropriate seasoning going into what really has been our ultimate goal all along.”

Baeza finished second and 40-1 shot Westwood was third. Both are trained by John Shirreffs.

The Baffert-trained Citizen Bull and Barnes finished fourth and last, respectively.

“We’re not raising the white flag yet,” Baffert said.

He said Citizen Bull’s fitness wasn’t up to the task on a deep, tiring track.

“It’s demanding and he was blowing pretty good,” Baffert said. “We’ll make sure he comes back well. I don’t think it’s the distance, he just got tired.”

Although he didn’t say it, Barnes is off the Derby trail since he doesn’t have enough points to qualify.

“We’ll just have to regroup,” Baffert said. “We didn’t see the right Barnes today. It happens.”

The five-horse field was the smallest since 2006.

In New York, Rodriguez broke from the rail and ran 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:48.15 under Hall of Famer Mike Smith in light rain and 45-degree temperatures at Aqueduct.

The victory was worth 100 qualifying points for the Derby, potentially giving Baffert three entrants as he seeks a record-setting seventh victory in his return to the race from which he was banned for three years.

Baffert sent Rodriguez to New York to split up his Derby contenders. The colt was sent off at 7-2 odds in the 10-horse field and paid $9.30 to win the 100th edition of the Wood. He is a son of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.

“Bob told me this horse is probably quicker than you think,” Smith said. “He can get uptight pretty easy, and the whole key was just letting him alone out there. I don’t think he necessarily has to have the lead. He just wants to be left alone.”

Smith has twice won the Kentucky Derby. Rodriguez would be his first mount since 2022. At 59, he would be the oldest jockey to win.

“That’s up to all the owners and Bob,” Smith said. “I was glad they pulled me off the bench and I hit a 3-shot for them.”

Grande, trained by Todd Pletcher, was second. He went from having zero qualifying points to 50, which should get him into the Derby starting gate for owner Mike Repole, who is 0 for 7 in the Derby.

Passion Rules was third. Captain Cook, the 9-5 favorite, finished fourth for trainer Rick Dutrow, who hasn’t had a Derby runner since 2010 after winning the 2008 race with Big Brown.

The $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland was postponed from Saturday to Tuesday due to heavy rain and potential flooding in the region. That race and the Lexington Stakes on April 12 are the final Derby preps of the season.