Following a June 1 breeze on the Saratoga Race Course main track, Preakness Stakeswinner Journalism was confirmed for the June 7 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, according to trainer Michael McCarthy. The news was first reported by Daily Racing Form’s David Grening.

Click to subscribe!

Jockey Umberto Rispoli was in town from California Sunday morning as the Curlin colt logged his only workout since before competing in the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. Going a half-mile in :47.54, Journalism posted an opening quarter in :23.80 and galloped out 1:00 for five furlongs and 1:12.80 for six furlongs, according to New York Racing Association clockers.

“I thought it was very good, more or less what we’ve seen all along,” McCarthy told BloodHorse Sunday morning. “Got away from the pole nice and smooth, put in a decent run around the turn and finished up the final quarter shading 24 seconds and galloped out strong.”

McCarthy said Journalism has recovered from the Preakness win, in which he encountered traffic while being bumped hard in the stretch, well and is thriving in upstate New York.

“He’s enjoying himself up here. I think he’s very relaxed,” McCarthy said. “The cooler weather has him on his toes.”

As the runner-up in the Derby and winner of the Preakness, Journalism will be the lone horse to complete all three jewels of the Triple Crown in 2025. He aims to become the first horse to complete the Preakness-Belmont double, not including Triple Crown winners, since Afleet Alex in 2005.

Journalism's presence in the Belmont also sets up an exciting rematch with Godolphin’s Sovereignty, who finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of him on the sloppy Churchill Downs track in the Derby. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott opted to skip the Preakness with the Derby winner, choosing to rest the five weeks into the 1 1/4-mile Belmont.

Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty at Saratoga (Eclipse Sportswire)

Sovereignty on Sunday morning recorded his third workout since the Derby, working a half-mile in :48.84 on the Oklahoma training track. NYRA clockers recorded early splits of :12.60 and :24.40 while galloping out in 1:02 for five furlongs and 1:16.60 for six furlongs.

“He went well,” Mott told NYRA publicity. “We just wanted a nice breeze, in 48, 49 [seconds], which is what we got. He galloped out good. He looked smooth. He came back good. It was a maintenance-type breeze, and that is what we got.”

Also on the training track’s workout tab Sunday morning was a new contender for the Belmont Stakes, Bobby Flay and James Ventura’s Crudo. The son of Justify worked a half-mile in :48.86 outside of Woody Stephens Stakes contender Gate to Wire.

Winner of the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard, the decision was made to enter Crudo in the Belmont Stakes after his workout, according to Grening.

Crudo started a length behind his Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate and clocked splits of :12.80 and :24.80 before galloping out in 1:01.60 and 1:14.60.

“I thought it was an excellent move,” Pletcher told NYRA publicity. “He worked really well, galloped out nicely. I was very pleased with him. He’s had a good couple weeks since he ran. It’s undoubtedly a pretty strong field. The top three from the Derby look to be really good colts. We’ve always been really high on the way the horse trained. His last two races have been very good.”