Having won the Grade 2 $300,000 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park on nine past occasions, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's presence was unmistakable with three starters in the 1 1/16-mile March 1 prep race on the Road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve.

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Following a scratch, only two horses lined up to face Baffert's imposing trio of Barnes, Rodriguez, and Mellencamp. One of them was Journalism from trainer Michael McCarthy. McCarthy was not running scared, he had faith in his colt who had already beaten three Baffert trainees in a prior matchup in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity back on Dec. 14.

In the San Felipe, Journalism delivered again over Baffert's trio. Under jockey Umberto Rispoli, Journalism entertained 2-5 favorite Barnes early, eased back into a stalking position down the backstretch, and then bore down on Barnes beginning on the second turn and through the stretch to decisively get up for the win. He sped 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.24, capped by a final sixteenth of a mile in :06.11, resulting in a 1 3/4-length winning margin. He paid $8.20 to win as the second choice behind Barnes.

Rispoli said when he put Journalism in the clear and asked him to run, "He put in beast mode."

Jockey Juan Hernandez aboard Barnes attempted to break the spirits of those chasing him by opening up on the second turn, a tactic that worked against all but Journalism. Barnes held second, 9 1/2 lengths ahead of Rodriguez in third. Mellencamp and Smooth Cruisein completed the order of finish.

Journalism picked up 37.5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to boost his total to 47.5. Churchill Downs uses qualifying points as a preference system when the race oversubscribes beyond its 20-horse maximum field size. During each of the past two years, 40 qualifying points have been necessary to secure a spot in the Derby field.

Umberto Rispoli. (BENOIT photo)

With just five horses starting in the San Felipe, only 75% of the planned qualifying points for the race were awarded. Those running second through fifth earned points on an 18.75-11.25-7.5-3.75 scale.

Barnes, the previously unbeaten winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby Future Wager favorite among individual wagering interests, tired late in his first route. He set a steady pace of :23.71, :47.31, and 1:11.10.

If Journalism starts in the May 3 Kentucky Derby in another couple of months, he will be the second Derby starter for McCarthy, who won the 2021 Preakness Stakes with Rombauer. Endlessly ran ninth in the Derby for McCarthy last year.

"It is always great to have a horse that can take you places, and he looks like he is taking himself and everybody else with him," McCarthy said.

Ownership spokesperson Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbreds, remarked, "I said before the race, this was a battle. We've got our eye on the war, which is the first Saturday in May. Hopefully we're not taking anything for granted, but to see him continue to be on this upward trajectory is really special to watch."