Pedigree fun facts: Journalism

Mar 11, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

As a son of Hall of Famer Curlin and a Grade 1-caliber Uncle Mo mare, who is herself out of a daughter of Bernardini, Journalism has a classic-oriented pedigree.

Although Curlin has yet to sire a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner himself, two of his sons have already come up with Derby winners. Curlin has furnished one Preakness (G1) and one Belmont (G1) hero, so a blanket of roses would complete his Triple Crown portfolio at stud. He also has Getaway Car and Grande currently on the trail.

Uncle Mo, who sadly passed away just before this past Christmas, has likewise sired the winners of two jewels. His influence is extending not only through his sire sons, but also through his daughters. Uncle Mo factors as the maternal grandfather of reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna.

Here are Journalism’s pedigree fun facts:

Sire Curlin won the Preakness and just missed in an historic Belmont.

It’s no surprise that Curlin emerged as a classic sire, considering that he was a prime player during the 2007 Triple Crown. Third in the Kentucky Derby behind Street Sense, he improved to turn the tables in the Preakness at Pimlico. Curlin nearly became a member of the “two-thirds” club in the Belmont, only to be outdueled by champion filly Rags to Riches in a thriller. Rags to Riches became the first female in 102 years to beat the boys in the “Test of the Champion.”

Curlin concluded the season by romping in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to secure the titles of Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old male. Repeating as Horse of the Year in 2008, he added more major victories in the Dubai World Cup (G1), Stephen Foster H. (G1), Woodward (G1), and a second straight Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). Curlin bankrolled just over $10.5 million, a North American record at the time of his retirement.

Curlin has excelled as a Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup sire.

Curlin delivered a Belmont winner in his very first crop in Palace Malice (2013). Another son, 2016 Derby runner-up Exaggerator, went on to capture the Preakness, putting Curlin in an exclusive club of Preakness victors to sire a winner of the middle jewel.

Good Magic, the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion, was second in the 2018 Derby to Triple Crown sweeper Justify. But Good Magic gained compensation of sorts through his first-crop son Mage, who upset the 2023 Derby.

Curlin is also the paternal grandsire of 2022 Derby shocker Rich Strike. You might say that Rich Strike was upholding a family tradition of surprises; Rich Strike is by Keen Ice, whose prior claim to fame was toppling Triple Crown star American Pharoah in the 2015 Travers (G1).

Journalism has a pedigree pattern in common with Keen Ice. Both have a duplication of Canadian Hall of Famer Deputy Minister, who appears as the maternal grandfather of Curlin and again in their own respective mothers.

Keen Ice, previously third to “Pharoah” in the Belmont, is one of several Curlin offspring to have placed in classics. Curlin’s champion filly Nest (2022) and Irish War Cry (2017) were both Belmont runners-up, and his sons Ride on Curlin (2014) and Tenfold (2018) placed in the Preakness.

Curlin jointly holds the record for siring the most Breeders’ Cup winners (eight). Aside from Good Magic, his tally comprises 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, who won the Dirt Mile (G1) twice; two-time Sprint (G1) champion Elite Power (2022-23); back-to-back Distaff (G1) champions in Malathaat (2022) and Idiomatic (2023); and Vino Rosso, who emulated Curlin himself in the 2019 Classic.

Journalism’s mother ran in the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Journalism is out of Mopotism, an earner of $876,090 over four seasons of racing. Although she won only three of her 26 starts, highlighted by a battling score in the 2018 La Canada (G2) at Santa Anita, she placed 11 times. Ten of those placings came in graded stakes, at times chasing home champions.

Third to Abel Tasman in the 2016 Starlet (G1), Mopotism didn’t get close when 10th behind the same champion in the following year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1). She took minor awards three times behind Unique Bella, in the 2017 Las Virgenes (G2) and La Brea (G1) as well as the 2018 Santa Maria (G2). Mopotism checked in fifth in both of her Breeders’ Cup Distaff attempts, and the daughter of Uncle Mo concluded her career with a third to champion Midnight Bisou in the 2019 Ogden Phipps (G1).

Journalism is bred along similar lines to Muth.

Uncle Mo’s oldest daughters just turned 12 this year, so it’s a terrific sign that such young mares are already making a splash with their foals. While Thorpedo Anna is the headliner in this category, other notables out of Uncle Mo mares include 2023 Pacific Classic (G1) hero Geaux Rocket Ride and multiple Grade 1 star Muth.

Muth is of particular interest because he’s by Curlin’s son Good Magic, and thereby bred on a similar pattern to Journalism. The 2024 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner was pegged as the morning-line favorite for the Preakness, only to scratch. Interestingly, another veteran of last year’s Triple Crown trail, West Saratoga, is likewise by a Curlin stallion (Exaggerator) and out of an Uncle Mo mare.

Mopotism is bred similarly to reigning champion Immersive.

Mopotism’s pedigree sports the established cross of Uncle Mo over A.P. Indy, in her case over a mare by A.P. Indy’s son Bernardini. Uncle Mo’s leading lights out of Bernardini mares are Grade 1 winner and successful young sire Mo Town and Modernist, and Rapture could add his name to this list in Saturday’s Virginia Derby. If you cast a wider net to include Uncle Mo’s stars out of A.P. Indy-line mares in general, you find such top performers as 2022 Belmont romper Mo Donegal, Arabian Knight, and Kingsbarns.

Uncle Mo’s most accomplished son, champion Nyquist, is extending this cross in his own stud career. Only the second horse in history to achieve the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile/Kentucky Derby double, Nyquist has sired two champions out of Bernardini mares – last year’s Eclipse Award-winning two-year-old filly Immersive and Canadian champion Gretzky the Great – as well as Encino and unbeaten dazzler Nysos.

Like sire Uncle Mo, Nyquist has nicked well with other A.P. Indy-line mares too, siring turf supremo Johannes, champion Vequist, Cavalieri, and current Oaks contender Tenma according to this pattern.

Bernardini keeps popping up in 2025 Derby contenders’ pedigrees.

Bernardini’s influence as a sire is inescapable on this year’s trail. The champion three-year-old male of 2006 who romped in the Preakness, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, Bernardini is the paternal great-grandsire of Coal Battle. He’s even more prominent as a sire of broodmares.

Among the Triple Crown nominees out of Bernardini mares are Sovereignty, Chancer McPatrick, the aforementioned Rapture, Valentinian, and Guns Loaded. Another maternal grandson, Risen Star (G2) conqueror Magnitude, was a prime contender before he was sidelined by injury.

Bernardini’s regal bloodlines, as a son of A.P. Indy and Broodmare of the Year Cara Rafaela, are also encoded in Poster. His mother, Pin Up, is a half-sister to Bernardini; Pin Up is also out of Cara Rafaela but sired by Tapit, a scion of the A.P. Indy line.

Mopotism is out of a half-sister to Songster.

Mopotism’s mother, Peppa Rafaela, is a half-sister to the speedy Songster, who was among the prominent three-year-old sprinters of 2006.

A 10-length, wire-to-wire winner of the Hirsch Jacobs (G3) at Pimlico, Songster added that summer’s Woody Stephens (G2) on Belmont Day. He went off as the extreme odds-on favorite in the Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga, where he was overturned and settled for second. Songster was rarely seen on the racetrack as an older horse, but he did land the Bold Ruler H. (G3) in his lone outing of 2007.

Ancestor French Deputy factors in the pedigree of Marche Lorraine.

Peppa Rafaela and Songster were both produced by Peppy Lapeau, an unraced daughter of French Deputy. The well-named son of Deputy Minister and Grade 1 victress Mitterand dominated his first four starts, a streak capped by his signature win in the 1995 Jerome H. (G2) (then held in September) over Mr. Greeley.

French Deputy raced only twice more, but he compiled a much more distinguished career as a stallion, only recently passing away at the ripe old age of 33 in Japan. Siring the influential Kurofune and ill-fated Left Bank – champions in Japan and the U.S., respectively – French Deputy is also the damsire of Marche Lorraine, Japan’s upset winner of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff; Royal Ascot Group 1 hero Undrafted; and 2014 Arkansas Derby scorer Danza, who was third in the Kentucky Derby.

Ancestor Raja Baba sired two Breeders’ Cup winners.

Peppy Lapeau is out of Peppy Raja, by Raja Baba. The well-bred Raja Baba was a son of the great patriarch Bold Ruler (sire of 1973 Triple Crown record-setter Secretariat) and the prolific Missy Baba, whose female line has yielded the likes of A.P. Indy, Summer Squall, Lemon Drop Kid, and more recently, Havre de Grace and Tonalist.

Raja Baba was one of an amazing six stakes winners foaled by Missy Baba herself, including Grade 1-winning sire Sauce Boat. Raja Baba’s best runner was champion filly and millionaire Sacahuista, who defeated her elders in the 1987 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The next year, Raja Baba was responsible for a massive upset at the Breeders’ Cup when his son Is It True floored Hall of Famer Easy Goer in the Juvenile.

Journalism’s female line was developed by Elmendorf Farm.

Peppy Raja’s family was nurtured by one of the storied nurseries of the Bluegrass, Elmendorf Farm. Her mother, Fresh Pepper, captured the 1972 Oak Leaf S. at Santa Anita. Fresh Pepper is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 star Slewpy, and her near maternal relatives include fellow major winners Top Corsage and Ocean Crest.

They descend from Elmendorf’s classy French import *Sylvanaise, who is also the ancestress of Grade 1 scorers Croeso, Super May, and Appealing Zophie, the dam of 2017 Belmont victor Tapwrit.