Journalism faces Baffert duo in five-horse Santa Anita Derby; Tenma heads six in Santa Anita Oaks

A convincing winner of the San Felipe (G2), Journalism will look to lock up Kentucky Derby (G1) favoritism when making his final tune up in Saturday’s $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1). 

The Michael McCarthy-trained colt will bring a three-race win streak to the 1 1/8-mile race, a major qualifier in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series, and Journalism will square off against a pair of well-regarded rivals from the shedrow of six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert, Barnes and Citizen Bull.

A maiden winner stretching to two turns the second time out last November, Journalism followed with a 3 1/2-length score in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in mid-December. The son of Curlin came back from a 2 1/2-month rest to capture San Felipe, overhauling pacesetter Barnes to win going away by about two lengths, and Journalism received an outstanding 104 Brisnet Speed rating. Umerto Rispoli retains the mount.

Champion two-year-old male Citizen Bull rates as a major frontrunning contender, recording consecutive wire-to-wire wins in the American Pharoah (G1), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and Robert Lewis (G3) on Feb. 1. Martin Garcia will be back up on the once-beaten Into Mischief colt.

Barnes coughed up the lead after setting an uncontested pace in the San Felipe, but the $3.2 million son of Into Mischief lost a shoe in his first two-turn attempt, finishing a clear second. Bet down to individual favoritism in Pool 3 and 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, Barnes may appreciate switching back to stalking tactics and merits serious respect with regular rider Juan Hernandez.

A $1.2 million purchase, Baeza will make his first stakes appearance following an impressive maiden win in his third start, and the McKinzie colt has always been highly regarded, counting 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont (G1) winner Dornoch as half-brother. Baeza earned a commendable 98 Speed rating last time, and Hector Berrios will be up for John Shirreffs, who has also entered the maiden Westwood.

Due to the five-horse field size, point values have been reduced 25% (75-37.5-18.75-11.25-7.5 point scale) in the Santa Anita Derby.

Earlier on the program, Las Virgenes (G3) and Starlet (G2) winner Tenma leads six fillies in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2). Baffert trains and Hernandez pilots the daughter of Nyquist, and Tenma projects to stalking up close in the 1 1/16-mile event, a major qualifier in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Challenge series. 

Her challengers include Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Vodka With a Twist, who will try to improve upon a third as the favorite in the Starlet; sprint stakes winner and Starlet runner-up Look Forward, who missed the break most recently in the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn Park; and last-out maiden romper Madame Secretary.