Journalism’s win last weekend in the G2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar was the latest marker of significance in a topsy-turvy 12 months of assorted emotions for jockey Umberto Rispoli, and a moment that embodied the wise old phrase ‘let bygones be bygones.’
Rispoli, Journalism’s trainer Michael McCarthy and the colt’s quite extensive ownership group, have done just that. The Italian was famously shunted off the G1 Preakness Stakes winner ahead of last autumn’s Breeders’ Cup, after the colt had placed second in the G1 Pacific Classic. He was replaced by Jose Ortiz.
It was a bitter pill to have to swallow, losing the ride on the horse that had given him his greatest moment in the saddle in that second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico, a horse that his young sons felt a particular bond with. And the pain of that lost connection was compounded when Rispoli took a leg-cracking, ligament-damaging fall at Gulfstream in January, which kept him out of action until late June.
But time heals relationships as well as broken bones, as long as honest dialogue is involved. Rispoli enjoyed a good relationship with McCarthy prior to losing the Journalism ride, and that has been rekindled since the jockey returned to race-riding: of his seven wins since then, three have been for the California trainer.
“It felt good to go ahead and get back together with Umberto, and look how the horse showed up and put forward a performance as he did the other day,” McCarthy told Idol Horse. “And, you know, obviously Umberto’s able to get some run out of him, to say the least. So, yeah, it was good.”
Rispoli, meanwhile, had been talking to Aron Wellman, managing partner of the Journalism owners, since late last year, and that dialogue shifted to talk of a reunion with the big horse in recent weeks.
“Once I came back from my injury, I had a chat with Aron and with Michael and you know, they said they were happy to put me back on the horse,” Rispoli told Idol Horse. “We had a chat, very quick chat to move forward, you know. We forgot about what happened, we are all professionals in the business and I think for me it was a big, big opportunity to get back on the horse. Obviously, you know, winning with the horse is the cherry on the cake.
“But even before my injury, I settled with Aron. We talk. We talk a lot. And we’ve been good since, like, I would say a month after the Breeders’ Cup, we talked, we had a chat, we both explained ourselves.”
Rispoli had been upset when that decision to jock him off was made, but he understands well how horse racing shifts and moves; how when Journalism went from Preakness hero – a brave albeit controversial ride by Rispoli – and Haskell victor to defeated in the Pacific Classic, connections were looking for something else, perhaps a new edge or to reignite the spark that had taken their star racer through a four-win streak that included the G1 Santa Anita Derby.
“I mean, this business, you know how it is,” Rispoli says. “So, sometimes they would love to try something different, see if, you know, something different would work or would not work. Then there was the opportunity to get me back on the horse and I was happy to receive the call and jump back on Journalism.
“You know, if there is another rider winning on the horse, you would say what’s the reason to change, right? But at the same time, I was winning on the horse, so it happens to me as well. Of course, I’ve been taken off after the second in the Pacific Classic. But look, I like to see things going forward, not looking back. There isn’t any point talking about what happened, it’s important now to look forward.”
Looking forward is all about where Journalism will go next as he moves towards the anticipated big target of the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, and an aim to improve on his fourth place behind Forever Young in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last year. Plans are fluid.
With Bob Baffert’s stable star Nysos having already shipped to Del Mar for the Pacific Classic, logic dictates that could mean Journalism taking on the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner there or maybe sidestepping that race for something like the G1 Goodwood at Santa Anita. McCarthy is open to those possibilities and more at this stage while committing to none yet.
“He’ll be nominated to basically anything out there,” McCarthy said. “We’ll just kinda see how he is here over the next two weeks. It’ll be about two weeks till he has his first timed workout back after his race, and we’ll just plot our course from there.”
As for Journalism, his San Diego Handicap success was his first of the year, his first win since the G1 Haskell last July, in fact, after defeats earlier this campaign behind White Abarrio and Sovereignty in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap and Nysos in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap.
“He was against lower quality horses at Del Mar this time, instead of the horses that he’d been facing the last three times for sure,” Rispoli said, “but it was very important for him to get his win as a four-year-old in Graded stakes.”
And McCarthy is pleased with the strapping son of Curlin and where he is at in his progression.
“He’s a bigger, stronger horse,” he said. “Things come easier to him with age. He’s always been a horse that’s been very, very … I guess easy on himself is the best way to put it, you know.
“You watch him train, he trains with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of integrity; gets over the ground well; always looks a picture of health. So in that regard we’re not seeing a whole lot different from him from three to four because he’s just that kind of horse.”
McCarthy described Journalism as “an incredible specimen” who embodies his sire Curlin’s “bone and substance” and his damsire Uncle Mo’s athleticism.
Rispoli is pleased to be back riding such a horse, and as the summer campaign moves through to autumn, jockey, trainer and owners will be hoping the ‘forgive and forget’ reconnection will bring more happy days their way. ∎
