The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers in football. The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in baseball. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics in basketball. The world of sports loves a rivalry, and horse racing is no different. From the glory days of Affirmed versus Alydar to Arrogate versus California Chrome in the modern day, the Sport of Kings is always on the hunt for its next clash of the titans.
It has arrived in the form of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism. These two 3-year-old colts have sparked a rivalry that has taken the racing world by storm. With a solid resume under both of their saddles, the question of who is better has been a constant debate since the Triple Crown season. For some, the answer is cut and dry, while for others, it is still debatable. The score will not be settled until the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 1, which both horses are being aimed toward. But with the Travers Stakes (G1) and Pacific Classic (G1) in the books, there is no better time than the present to look at these two and the fierce rivalry between them.
They have raced each other twice so far, first in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). In both of those races, Sovereignty came out on top, with Journalism finishing in second. However, it could be argued that Sovereignty beat a weakened Journalism, due to the latter racing in all three legs of the Triple Crown while the Derby winner sat out the Preakness, which Journalism won with a performance that founder and president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners Aron Wellman said defied logic.
Akin to Afleet Alex’s miraculous win in the 2005 Preakness Stakes (G1), Journalism encountered a cluster of horses in the Pimlico stretch, but not even a game of bumper cars could stop him from charging home to victory. Overcoming that rough trip in such a way cemented his talent, but the two defeats to Sovereignty left a big question mark over his head. Is he the better horse, or is he a great horse who happened to be born in the same year as an even greater horse?
Journalism’s most recent race, the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, had him facing off against older horses for the very first time — something that Sovereignty has yet to do. He encountered even more bad racing luck by bumping into another horse at the break. This time, he was unable to overcome it. Fierceness, one of the top older horses in the country, managed to overcome his own trouble at the break and won by 3 ¼ lengths over Journalism, who had a whopping 6 ½ lengths on the third-place finisher. While coming in second to an older horse, let alone one like Fierceness, is nothing to sneeze at, his loss made that question mark hanging over his head even bigger.
Meanwhile, a week prior, Sovereignty romped to victory in the crown jewel of historic Saratoga Racecourse’s summer meet, the Travers Stakes (G1). Called the “Graveyard of Champions” due to racing giants Man o’ War, Gallant Fox, Secretariat, and others being upset during races at the track, Saratoga was no match for the horse who took two-thirds of this year’s Triple Crown. He cruised to a 10-length victory that left the racing world stunned. “That sort of horse may be generational,” said Steve Asmussen after his horse finished third to Sovereignty that day. While the race drew the awe of industry greats like Asmussen, an argument could be made that the field was tremendously weak so the performance was not as impressive as it could have been.
However, Sovereignty’s record speaks for itself. He has not lost a race since the Florida Derby (G1) back in March, and he is getting better each time he sets hoof on a track. With his two triumphs over Journalism added to the mix, it could be difficult to not choose Sovereignty in this debate. I, however, still hold the belief that Journalism is the better horse. Regardless of where you stand, it is safe to say that the Breeders’ Cup could revive its former slogan for this year’s championships because the best is yet to come.
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