WATCH: Journalism Preps For The Kentucky Derby. Plus The Future Of Horse Racing And Santa Anita
The 2025 Kentucky Derby favorite, a three-year-old thoroughbred named Journalism, appears suited for the 1 1/4-mile distance on the dirt track at Churchill Downs on May 3, says Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
“A lot of horses don't want any part of that classic distance, but he looks like a horse who's got the endurance to go ahead and thrive at a mile-and-a-quarter distance,” Wellman says on Gambling.com’s “The Edge.”
Wellman, a 47-year-old attorney, is president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, whose horse, Journalism, is coming off a first-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby in California.
In a wide-ranging video interview, Wellman discusses Journalism’s training schedule leading up to the 151st Kentucky Derby and the team’s strategy for the race. Journalism is trained by Michael McCarthy and will be ridden by jockey Umberto Rispoli during the upcoming race in Louisville.
The Kentucky Derby, Horse Racing's Future, Santa Anita's Survival
Horse Racing’s Future
In the video interview, Wellman addresses the future of the horse racing industry and whether the Santa Anita racetrack, just northeast of downtown Los Angeles, will survive.
He also discusses whether money-making historical horse racing machines are necessary for the Santa Anita track to remain in business. Efforts to place the machines at the track have been unsuccessful.
How Journalism Got His Name
In the interview, Wellman, former sport editor for the Beverly Hills High School newspaper, says some people would accuse him of being “a disgruntled sports writer at times.”
“Journalism and journalists have long been a passion of mine and admired by me,” Wellman says. “So Journalism it was, and thankfully he's given journalists a lot to write about.”
Wellman says one of Journalism’s attributes is his “psychological fortitude.”
“He’s a really smart horse, and he's such a competitor,” Wellman says.
2025 Triple Crown Schedule
- The Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, May 3
- The Preakness Stakes: Pimlico, Baltimore, Maryland, May 17
- The Belmont Stakes: Saratoga*, New York, June 7
*Note: This race is being held in Saratoga as work continues on a $550 million upgrade at Belmont Park in Elmont on Long Island, just east of New York City.
Learn more about Kentucky Derby betting.
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