Journalism and Vino Rosso’s Time to Shine
Journalism and Vino Rosso’s Time to Shine
By Steve Haskin
It is rare, but once in a while a breeding farm is fortunate enough to have not one, but two young horses be trained and broken there the same year and then go on to become major stars winning classic races. Some even carry their success to the breeding shed and make a name for themselves as stallions.
Usually, when a farm strikes it rich with one of those two students dominating the Triple Crown and going on to be named Horse of the Year, it diminishes the accomplishments of the other one, even though he also has reached star status.
Well, this past weekend, on both coasts, we saw two horses who have been overshadowed their entire life by their more illustrious crop mates have the spotlight all to themselves. One did it on the racetrack and one in the breeding shed.
Many will agree that the most popular victory in California this year was another of Journalism’s dramatic triumphs, this time in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, once again staging a desperate late rally, as he had done in last year’s Preakness and Haskell Invitational. Journalism had graduated from Bridlewood Farm in Ocala in 2024 with high grades, but it was his fellow classmate Sovereignty who rose to stardom, beating Journalism in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. On Saturday there was no Sovereignty, and following four consecutive defeats against the best horses in the country, Journalism was able to hear cheers from the crowd once again. He was back on his home turf, which made the victory all the more sweeter.
Journalism delights the hometown crowd with his thrilling victory in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.
Several hours earlier, in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Mommouth Park, the 28-1 Baby Vino upset a top-class field in the slop with a gutsy rail-skimming performance, in which he out-gamed the Preakness winner Napoleon Solo the length of the stretch. Baby Vino’s sire, Vino Rosso, now a well-established stallion standing at Spendthrift Farm, had been through the same experience as Journalism, except that has had to play second fiddle to Justify, his fellow graduate from John and Tanya Gunther’s Glenwood Farm in Kentucky, not only on the racetrack, but in the breeding shed. But with Justify still gloating over last month’s victory by his son, last year’s St. Leger winner Scandinavia in the prestigious Ascot Gold Cup, this day belonged to Vino Rosso. Of course, he still is not nearly accomplished as Justify, who is the only horse in history to sweep the Triple Crown in America and sire the winners of all three British Triple Crown races — the 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, and St. Leger.
But Vino Rosso built up quite a resume for himself on the track, having won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic, as well as the Grade 1 Santa Anita Gold Cup and Grade 2 Wood Memorial, and finished first in The Jockey Club Gold Cup, only to be disqualified and placed second. He also won the Eclipse Award for the Champion Older Male in 2020. And now as a stallion, he has sired the winner of the Grade 1 Haskell to go along with his daughter Bottle of Rouge’s victory in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in 2025.
If there is one other factor that bonds Journalism and Vino Rosso and may even give them an advantage over their more acclaimed classmates, it might very well be the place they hold in the hearts of those who raised them at both Bridlewood Farm and Glennwood Farm respectively. Bridlewood Farm purchased part-interest in Journalism at the 2023 Saratoga yearling sale, where he sold for $825,000, and saw him carry their silks to victory in the Preakness, while they broke and trained Sovereignty for his breeder Godolphin, so although the farm takes great pride in the accomplishments of both horses, it does have a closer relationship with Journalism.
And while Glennwood’s John and Tanya Gunther relish the amazing success of their homebred Justify, who they sold at the Keeneland September yearling sale for $500,000, it was their other homebred Vino Rosso, who brought Tanya to tears when they sold him at the same sale for $410,000.
“I burst into tears when the hammer went down at Keeneland, shocking a few people, including myself since I thought I would hold it together a little better than that or at least wait until I got back to our consignment,” Tanya said. “I remember one guy who witnessed my small outburst exclaiming, ‘What’s wrong?’ with a worried look. Maybe he thought the colt had stepped on my toe or something. But actually I had become so attached to the horse and was so proud of him that he sold well, but also sad to see him go. He was such a nice horse to be around; always relaxed as if nothing ever seemed to bother him.”
She added, “He was so easy to work with all the way through sales prep, in contrast to some colts who can become perhaps a bit too full of themselves. He took it all in stride from the word go and was consistently good and well-behaved. After he sold and I went back to the consignment to say my goodbyes to him. Jim Martin (racing manager for Mike Repole, who purchased him with Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable) came down to see him, and that is when I discovered that Repole and St Elias were partners on him. I remember thinking well that’s some consolation, he will be in good hands, maybe go to Todd (Pletcher), and he’ll get a great shot at making it as a racehorse. I thought, ‘Dreams start early, do I dare to hope?’”
Well, it turned out that Tanya’s dreams did come true, but it was Justify who actually surpassed them by becoming racing’s 13th Triple Crown winner and the second horse to achieve the sport’s greatest feat while still undefeated. Yet when Justify was forced into an early retirement following the Belmont, it was Vino Rosso who gave the Gunthers a dream double by winning the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Classic impressively the following year.
But in retirement Justify regained the headlines, making an immediate impact by siring the winners of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Fillies Turf, Santa Anita Handicap, Belmont Oaks, and others, capped off by the 2,000 Guineas with Ruling Court, the Epsom Derby with City of Troy, and the St. Leger and Ascot Gold Cup with Scandinavia. Now Vino Rosso is beginning to add his own grade 1 winners, with his biggest triumph coming in the Haskell with the former Oaklawn Park-based colt Baby Vino trained by the relatively unknown trainer Lindsay Schultz, who became the first female to capture the Haskell.
Baby Vino at 28-1 odds upsets Preakness winner Napoleon Solo in the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Vino Rosso hasn’t come close to matching Justify’s accomplishments on the track and even his Breeders’ Cup Classic score will always rank behind Justify’s Triple Crown sweep, keeping him number two in the Glennwood Farm’s 3-year-old class of 2018. But as a stallion, at least this was a big step in the right direction.
With Journalism, it is still early in the racing season in his quest to catch Sovereignty, as he still has the rest of 2026 and, like Vino Rosso, the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But, unlike Vino Rosso, he could get one or more cracks at his nemesis and a possible shot at Horse of the Year honors.
For Bridlewood Farm’s head trainer Meda Murphy, Journalism received the highest grade, but there was another colt she graded just as high, and that was their Godolphin homebred, later to be named Sovereignty. Although one stayed in the east and one went west, unfortunately for Journalism the twain did meet, three times, and Journalism still hasn’t figured out how to beat his fellow “A” student at the Bridlewood prep school.
You have to think that Murphy has a special spot in her heart for Journalism considering it was her, along with farm manager George Isaacs, who helped pick him out of the sale, partnering up with Eclipse Thoroughbreds, for whom they do a good deal of groundwork at the sale. They thought he had a great deal of scope like his sire Curlin, was very correct with an athletic walk, and looked like he had an engine that could give him the speed he we would need, so as they often do, they bought 25 percent ownership.
It didn’t take Murphy long to realize they had made an excellent investment. “He was very mature mentally and physically and well-balanced from day one,” she said. “You knew he was going to be an earlier horse. He was so advanced and always wanted to go. Even when he breezed he did it like an older horse. He was a natural at everything. You show him once, he came back a graduate. It would have been easy to just let him keep going, but I had to stand in his way. I would let him and then back him down and just keep taking pauses. There is a fine line between staying out of their way and pulling them back.”
In the San Diego, for the first time in over a year, there was no Sovereignty or Forever Young or Nysos or Sierra Leone or Fierceness or White Abarrio. Credit his connections for never backing down from any of them, being the only ones to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown, and even for taking him out of his comfort zone by running him in the Met Mile this year, where he was third behind arguably the two best milers in the country, Nysos and Knightsbridge. So, perhaps the San Diego finally boosted Jounalism’s confidence enough where he can now plot his course to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, not caring who shows up, and go out the way another number two horse did in 2019.
Who knows, maybe Journalism will join Vino Rosso at Spendthrift Farm one day and see which one can outlast Into Mischief and finally become a Number One.
Photos courtesy of Benoit Photo, Spendthrift Farm and Monmouth Park.
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
I really enjoyed yesterday’s Saratoga card, especially the photo win on the turf for plucky Crossover Capital, seeing Built break through, and the CCA. The rivalry developing between Counting Stars and Always A Runner takes me back to Havre de Grace and Blind Luck.
I hated to wake up from the good buzz yesterday to read about poor Cornucopian, complete with a barrage of insensitive comments on Horse Racing Nation’s story. Schadenfreude at the expense of a beautiful animal who served his masters faithfully and willingly. My heart breaks for the horse, and for our hateful society.
Cornucopian certainly put an otherwise great day of racing into perspective. I saw the race, and knew it wasn’t going to end well. I did not see the comments you referred, but people often start out with an agenda and look for things to validate it. Respectful silence is often the best route, but that seems to escape some people.
Ironic we’re lamenting Journalism, in a column that pays tribute to the horse as a racer, because of an injury that prevents his running on the Breeders Cup as a four year old…we cannot see the horse race as a five year old, and that’s Racing, 2026 style …
Just think…..Citation being by Bull Lea was a prize STID…but after his amazing 19 for 20 three year old season…from coast to coast …he bows….and they wait over a year…..to bring him back! He had the misfortune to run into Noor, and he wasn’t the same dominant horse BUT—these was still very good, winning the Hollywood Gold Cup by many lengths, point is they RACED him, Journalism—nowhere close in talent to the mighty Citation….retires from a hip bruise?
And I loved Journalism, there’s no other horse today, whose retirement would affect me like losing Journalism, who had an aire about him, not #1 but still the horse you always rooted for….it’s a tough hit, losing a horse like the is….truly “America’s Horse”—why CAN’T they race him, at five? For the good of the sport WHY NOT?..
Race horses are managed like stocks, and right now, they can sell high.
Not that I begrudge Journalism his retirement. I’m glad for any of them to make it to retirement with relative health.
I just heard his injury is serious, not a bruise, a suspensory issue
If the suspensory apparatus fails at speed (especially at the sesamoid/s), the horse can be hard to save because of the damage to the surrounding vasculature. Good on them to find it and call it a career for him. Journalism goes out a winner in a lot of ways, and he has always been both brave and lucky. May he continue to be so in retirement!
So bummed about Journalism what a fun ride it has been to follow this horse a fantastic way to go out hoping he has a fantastic stud career and we will be seeing his babies in stakes races galore still super bummed was excited for rest of year with him Journalism thanks for a fantastic ride ! ❤️
I second that, Nic! What a horse. He’s been an inspiration to many. I’ve sent videos of his triumphs to non-racing friends–“Watch this!”–and the response has always been “Wow!”
It’s been a long time since a horse captured my heart and so many others like Journalism look forward to seeing several Journalism 3 year olds on Steve’s derby list in future !
I just read that Journalism has been retired due to an unspecified injury he sustained in the starting gate incident last week. He will certainly be missed. On the track, he was all heart. Hope he passes that on to his foals.
I just saw the news this morning. I sure will miss him!
Me too, Ms Blacktype
Wonderful article, Steve! I was so pleased with the results of both races. Both featured gutsy performances.
I thought Journalism had lost it at the start when he got up in the front of the gate before the bell. Really happy for the band to be back together for that win.
The Haskell is such a good race, I think. It seems like the sportsmanship aspect of racing is always at the forefront.
Lastly, the Spendthrift reaction to Baby Vino’s win was interesting. The Stallion Sales manager was over the moon, and implied that the race may have kept Vino Rosso in KY at Spendthrift for another season. Ned Toffey was grudgingly happy that their horse sired the winner (since their runner didn’t pan out). The Spendthrift business model makes me wonder how Into Mischief flew under the radar long enough to become… THE Into Mischief.
I was also happy that Book’em Dano gave everyone a thrill on his day Friday at Monmouth. I think Paco Lopez rides him better than any other horse he sits on routinely.
Vino should have 2 more Grade 1 wins on his resume. The Wood should have been a Grade 1 and he never should have come down in the JCGC
One of the worst takedowns I ever saw…slight bump with two furlongs to go, and the horse they put up returned the bump, trouble was Vino was 250 lbs the heavier horse!..
Of course I am biased, was holding a $100 win ticket. While not ok, I got my money back in the Classic. He was a lock that day.
I got a good look at him, in the walking ring and changed my $20 win bet to Vino…I think he was “10 that day…$20 turned to $100..
(#10)..
Steve, you absolutely excel at illuminating the connections between both people and horses. As a Journalism fan, I especially enjoyed reading Meda Murphy’s comments about what he was like early on.
Thanks very much.
Another great piece Steve, you always give us the human element of racing that we would not get without you. As for the Haskell, my Godfather/ Uncle may he RIP was a track fireman at Monmouth for 25+ years. He would always get me top of the line seats for us and even after the card was done he would report to work go to work. He would always bet on the local horse which was by most bettors considered a gate filler. I like to think (a better term is I KNOW) he was up in Heaven’s Row booting him home and cashed a nice one! Richard Manthey , I wish I could kiss his ring just one more time!
Thanks Derek, I covered almost 30 Haskells and one thing I always noticed was that even if they didnt win, the local horses who ran in the preps usually made their presence felt. Btw. when I worked for Sonny Hine for a week back in 1991 for a DRF series called Life on the Backstretch, Sonny’s barn was right next to the fire house and I always loved walking by there and was fascinated over the fact that they were always on call even though they rarely had to handle a fire. Amory Haskell always feared fires on the backstetch and that is why he had a fire house right there and had the barns built so far apart.
You probably ran in to Dick a few times through the years. He had some great backside Runyonesque stories he told me!
Wish I had and listened to those stories.
Very happy to see Journalism in the winner’s circle once again. Best wishes in the Pacific Classic!
Thoroughly enjoyed this column, Steve.
Journalism caught an easy gr2 field, his previous ten starts: gr2, gr1, gr1, gr1, gr1, gr1, gr1, gr1, gr2., gr1….he ducks nobody, ten furlongs maybe not his best distance…but I wouldn’t count him out of any race..
Two sons of Curlin. Interesting that they both were in the shadow of a farm mate. I don’t think Vino will step out of Justify’s shadow, but Journalism may well shine brighter than Sovereignty this year. And later they can throw down in the stallion wars. And who knows, maybe Baby Vino will beat them both in the BC Classic!
Love journalism ! Very happy fan of his return to winners circle plus congrats Steve on Phone Booth winning another son of
Mandy’s Grace ! Ps that Mandy Grace article was one of your best !
Wow! I didnt know that. Thanks Nic for the update. Thats great. I will check it out.
Ps a very impressive winner a full
Brother to Pavlovian so happy for you and family ! A very exciting prospect
Sure hope so. And hope Pavlovian can get back in form.
Interesting article: I always enjoy how you bring the stories of the folks who breed and develop the horses we follow to life…
I am very much looking forward to the rest of the year, leading to the Breeders Cup. I am especially excited to see how Nitrogen does in the Whitney and also where Nysos and Knightsbridge end up: Dirt Mile or Classic…
I have been paying a bit more attention than usual this year in anticipation of the annual end of year handicapping final exam of the BC. The UK betting sites have had odds for a while and they are a big help in separating out all of the Euro turf horses: I have had a few winners in BC turf races using only European horses, even 2nd and 3rd tier ones…
I knew Vino Rosso would figure in your column this week, Steve. But I had no idea the Gunthers bred and sold both Vino and Justify — in the same year, no less.
I’ve been so busy I have yet to watch Journalism’s win in the San Diego. I did watch the Haskell, but thought the horse slipping in along the rail was Further Ado, so I must rewatch both of thoses races.
Thank you for another excellent column.