By Tracy Gantz
When Journalism conquered a very strong Bob Baffert trio in the Dec. 14 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), trainer Michael McCarthy was putting the finishing touches on an excellent two weeks. McCarthy won the Hollywood Derby (G1T) with Formidable Man at Del Mar Nov. 30, ran second at Los Alamitos Race Course in the Dec. 7 Starlet Stakes (G2) with Look Forward , and then Journalism demonstrated promise that bodes well for the 2025 Triple Crown trail.
Beating Baffert in a 2-year-old graded stakes at Los Alamitos this time of year is nearly impossible. Baffert owns both the Futurity and the Starlet; since the Futurity moved to Los Alamitos in 2014, Baffert had won eight of the 10 runnings. For the 2024 edition, he brought graded winners Gaming and Getaway Car , second and fourth, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and promising maiden Mellencamp .
When the field headed into the second turn, Gaming on the inside launched his best effort. He couldn’t sustain it, whereas Journalism was just gearing up.
