Sovereignty, Journalism Square Off At Arkansas' Oaklawn Park

Article By

Larry Henry

Last Updated: Apr 17^th, 2026

Sovereignty, Journalism Square Off At Arkansas' Oaklawn Park

Horse race fans don’t have to wait until the May 2 Kentucky Derby for a high-profile showdown.

This Saturday, April 18, a classic rematch in set to take place at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, featuring the winners of the 2025 Triple Crown races.

In the Grade 2, $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap, last year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty, pictured, is running in a six-horse field at Oaklawn that includes 2025 Preakness winner Journalism.

This will be the third time Sovereignty and Journalism, last year’s top three-year-old thoroughbreds, have faced off. Another Grade 1 winner and serious contender, White Abarrio, also is set to run in Saturday’s Oaklawn Handicap.

In 2025, Journalism finished second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Sovereignty did not run in the Preakness, raising questions about whether the Triple Crown races are spread far enough apart to allow horses to recover. In an interview last year on Gambling.com’s "The Edge," Journalism co-owner Aron Wellman defended the tradition of the Triple Crown schedule. Journalism won the Preakness.

The 1 1/8-mile race this Saturday is on a dirt track at Oaklawn. The historic horse track also is the site of one of Arkansas’ three legal casinos. Recently, Oaklawn was in the news after joining with FanDuel in a partnership to provide an online sports betting platform statewide.

Also, this year’s winner of the Arkansas Derby, Renegade, is among the favorites to win the May 2 Kentucky Derby. The annual Arkansas Derby, an important prelude to the Triple Crown races, is held every spring at Oaklawn.

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