The decision to race in 2026 was widely expected after Coolmore Journalism failed to mention fees for its new bulls in a Nov. 4 press release: Citizen Bull, Fierceness and Sierra Leone.
Journalism, a 3-year-old son of Curlin, raced for owners Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 and Robert LaPenta through March before Coolmore affiliate Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith joined as partners.
“From now on, our intention is to freshen him up at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, bring him back to [trainer] Michael McCarthy at the start of next season and bring him back for an American campaign,” Wellman said, noting that overseas races had not been completely ruled out at this stage.
A three-time Grade 1 winner in 2025, Journalism is widely considered the second-best dirt 3-year-old in North America, behind only Godolphin’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets and DraftKings Travers Stakes winner Sovereignty. The latter will almost certainly win the Eclipse Award as champion of 3-year-old males and very likely the most coveted prize of Horse of the Year when these championships are announced at a ceremony on January 22 in South Florida, two days before the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes on January 24.
An announcement by Godolphin clarifying Sovereignty’s racing status for 2026 has not yet been made. Although he is a very valuable prospect, races such as the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 28 could tempt his connections to continue racing him. Godolphin’s founder, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, is the ruler of Dubai and the creator of the Dubai World Cup.
Journalism, fourth in his most recent start in the Nov. 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, defeated by 3 3/4 lengths, will face an older horse division next year depleted by recent retirements. Although Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Forever Young will race in 2026, others in the race will not. Runner-up Sierra Leone, third-placed Fierceness and fifth-placed Mindframe – all 2025 four-year-olds – will be stud next year, the latter at Claiborne Farm.
Japan-based Forever Young is expected to make its first start of 2026 in the $20 million Saudi Cup in February.
When describing the decision to pursue journalism at age 4, Wellman said. “He is a horse that is bred, built and designed to improve with age. He has had an incredibly solid campaign at the highest level, showing up every time and not going away. He is a three-time Grade 1 winner, a classic winner. His resume speaks for itself. But we still believe the best is yet to come. Our plan is to show him on American soil, hopefully win some major races and increase his already tremendous value as a stallion.”
Journalism, trained in Southern California by McCarthy, has six wins, three seconds and a third in 11 starts with earnings of $4,348,880. He won four of eight races this year and earned $4,190,000. Five of his six career wins have come via graded stakes.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners – led by Wellman, the president and founder – purchased Journalism in 2023 for $825,000 from the Denali Stud consignment at Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Don Alberto Corporation bred Journalism from multiple Grade 1-placed stakes winner Mopotism, which Don Alberto purchased for $1.05 million at Fasig-Tipton’s November 2019 sale from Kingswood Farm shipment.
Mopotism died in July at the age of 11; Journalism is her first of four foals.
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