Journalism lost the first two rounds to Sovereignty, but those matches were in 2025. Round 3 is Saturday at Oaklawn when the now-4-year-old heavyweights tangle again in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.
Based in Southern California with trainer Michael McCarthy, Journalism will be making his first start since finishing fourth against older horses in the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at 1 1/4 miles Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Journalism was green lighted to the Oaklawn Handicap, which drew six entrants, including 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio, after working fibr furlongs in 1:00.60 April 10 at Santa Anita.
"He was starting to show us signs that he was needing to do something more than work on a seven-day schedule," McCarthy said Wednesday afternoon. "Oaklawn Park is a racetrack we're familiar with. We felt like his style would suit it. Obviously, the connections of Sovereignty feel the same way, White Abarrio as well. Reputation precedes him. Small field, quality field."
While Sovereignty claimed year-old honors in 2025 (Horse of the Year and champion 3-Year-Old Male), Journalism wasn't far behind. Sandwiched around a victory in the Preakness—the second leg of the Triple Crown—Journalism ran second to Sovereignty in its other two legs (Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes) and captured two other marquee events for 3-year-olds in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1).
Among three finalists for an Eclipse Award as North America's champion 3-year-old male, Journalism already owns victories at five venues and is looking to win in a third time zone.
"He has not needed to take his racetrack with him," MaCarthy said.
McCarthy trains Journalism for an all-star cast of owners, including Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which purchased the son of two-time Horse of the Year and multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Curlin for $825,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York Select Yearling Sale.
McCarthy said he believes Journalism is a typical Curlin in that the colt's best work will be as an older runner.
"Bigger horse, stronger horse," McCarthy said. "Things are coming to him easier all the time."
Journalism, the 5-2 second choice in the program, will be ridden by Jose Ortiz. Journalism has a 6-3-1 record from 11 lifetime starts and earnings of $4,348,880.
McCarthy won the 2018 Oaklawn Handicap with City of Light, who edged future Breeders' Cup Classic winner Accelerate by a neck under Hot Springs native Drayden Van Dyke. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners won the 2014 Arkansas Derby with Danza, who was trained by Todd Pletcher.
Liberal Arts Takes His Shot
Trainer Heather Irion's most lucrative career victory to date came in the $100,000 Swifty Sired Fillies Handicap in 2024 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Saturday at Oaklawn, Irion will be running for more than 10 times that amount when she starts Grade 3 winner Liberal Arts in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses.
The competition includes 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty, 2025 Preakness winner Journalism and 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio.
"I don't claim to be anywhere in the same breath as those superstars," Irion said of her 15-1 morning-line shot last Saturday morning. "We're not them. We know that. Somebody has to be third, fourth and you never know how things shake out. But we probably won't ever get a chance to have a horse that has any sort of ability to be in a race like that. For us, it's kind of like, possibly, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be in the Oaklawn Handicap."
Liberal Arts, a 5-year-old son of deceased champion Arrogate, will be making his first start for Irion and owner Osmel Nunez since being purchased for $120,000 in Fasig-Tipton's December Digital Selected Sale.
Liberal Arts boasts a solid resume, finishing first, second or third in 10 of 13 career starts. Then with trainer Robbie Medina, Liberal Arts was a promising Kentucky Derby prospect after winning the Street Sense Stakes (G3) as a 2-year-old in 2023 at Churchill Downs. Liberal Arts made his first two starts as a 3-year-old at Oaklawn, finishing third behind eventual Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and eighth the Arkansas Derby (G1) when he was rank on the first turn.
Liberal Arts is unraced since winning the Knicks Go Overnight Stakes last May at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox. Liberal Arts marks the most significant collaboration to date between Irion, a former jockey, and Nunez, a south Florida resident whose family is originally from Cuba. Irion and Nunez teamed to finish fifth in last fall's $250,000 St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park with a maiden, Spellmaker.
"He just likes fast cars, fast horses," Irion said.
Irion, 42, said she's trained the last couple of years for Nunez after meeting him through her boyfriend, jockey Reynier Arrieta. Irion said Arrieta is also from Cuba and attended high school with Nunez, a friendship that eventually sparked his interest in Thoroughbred ownership.
Irion said Liberal Arts has been pointing for the Oaklawn Handicap since the digital sale. Irion had a small string this season at Oaklawn before recently returning to Fairmount Park, her home track.
"We bought him out of the digital sale and he came directly here and he trained here pretty much the whole time," Irion said. "We're like, 'If everything goes good and the horse is training good, it was always on our radar and that was more or less the plan.' The timing for a race before then didn't really work out. So, we just went with the training and went for this."
Liberal Arts has eight published workouts this year, the first six coming at Oaklawn, the last two at Fairmount Park.
Arrieta, who is no relation to two-time Oaklawn riding champion Francisco Arrieta, regularly gallops Liberal Arts and will ride him for the first time in the Oaklawn Handicap. Irion praised Arrieta for his ability to get along with Liberal Arts because of his reputation as a bad actor in the morning.
"He's just very strong to gallop and can be opinionated," Irion said. "Reynier is really good with those types. They're best friends. They get along. He doesn't have any issue with him."
From the final crop of Arrogate, Liberal Arts has a 5-1-4 record and earnings of $589,016. Irion said the Oaklawn Handicap represents a free shot for her small barn.
"I think it's going to be a lot of fun," Irion said. "We're going to enjoy it. There's no pressure on us. So, go out there and let the big guy do his thing. We've never been in this situation. I've worked as an assistant trainer and been in the bigger races, but on my own the biggest race was the St. Louis Derby."
Irion, who came up under trainers Larry Rivelli and Marty Wolfson, has 65 career training victories, the first coming Sept. 1, 2006, at Fairmount Park, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. The Oaklawn Handicap will be her second career start in a graded race.
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