Chompin’ at the Bytes
Just when you think journalism is dead, the three-year-old American Thoroughbred Journalism is the lively favorite to win Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Actually, the last time horse racing was super popular was about the last time people carried around newspapers. Although the print edition of the Racing Form is always available at the Oakbrook Terrace off-track betting sports book on 22nd Street.
I will bet on Journalism if he is not a late scratch. I’ve bet on journalism my whole life. Racing horse partner Aron Wellman is former sports editor of the Beverly Hills High School newspaper and told the Los Angeles Times, “We believe that good horses should have good names. We’ve historically followed the Claiborne Farm (in Paris, KY.) way of naming horses, which ties the name to the pedigree. He’s out of a mare called Mopotism, so we thought ending in an ‘ism’ was a way to go. So, we came up with Journalism. I’ve always been a huge fan of journalists and journalism.”
There’s also a horse named Publisher that has 20-1 odds. Journalism is currently 3-1.
If Journalism or Publisher wins, this could be a trend: Clickbait! Buy Out! Puff Piece! Pay Freeze!
Mr. Ed Murrow!
Who in 2025 would bet on Journalism? According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Wellman’s partner Robert LaPenta is 0 for 10 in the Derby, his best finish coming with Ice Box (second place) in 2010. Jockey Umberto Rispoli is 0 for 2 in the Derby. But good ol’ Journalism is 4-0-1 in five starts.
Journalism landed the no. 8 post position on Sunday, which has figured in nine wins since the starting gate debuted in 1930, tied for second-most with the No. 10 post. The No. 5 post is on top with 10 victories. Journalism needs to get off to a good lede.
In the late 1980s and early 90s, I was a fringe character around the Sun-Times sports department, writing stories about the Continental Basketball Association (Phil Jackson and Charlie Rosen), Negro League baseball great Buck O’Neil, the House of David and the Midnight Sun baseball game in Fairbanks Alaska. I got to know horse racing writer Dave Feldman from a distance.
Even though I was in the Features department I would visit then-sports editor Bill Adee to discuss my occasional story. Adee knew the potential of long shots.
I’d see Feldman saunter into the office to a standing ovation from the copy desk and fellow reporters. He was a gently gruff Chicago guy looking like loose change in a velvet pouch. Feldman was born on the west side of Chicago and began hanging around the Arlington Park racetrack at the age of 12. He reportedly took bets from Damon Runyon, announced races at Sportsman’s Park and owned some horses. Feldman died in 2001, six days before the Kentucky Derby. He was 85 years old and still on the Sun-Times payroll. Adee was a pallbearer at Feldman’s funeral along with Arlington Park chairman Richard Duchossois. Feldman would have loved a horse named Journalism.
Journalism is not the first derby horse to be named for the media world. Once again the field is bleak: Media finished 5th in the 1975 derby, back in 1882 Newsboy finished 11th and Editor’s Note came in sixth in the 1996 Derby.
There are also a couple of other colorful entries in the 2025 derby. Springfield, Il. native and former MLB outfielder Jayson Werth is a part owner of Flying Mohawk (30-1) And the late country singer Toby Keith’s horse Render Judgment is currently at 30-1. In 2001 Keith founded Dream Walkin’ Farms in central Oklahoma. Keith once called me at the Sun-Times to yell about my negative concert review in Tinley Park. He said he wanted to punch me out. Gotta love Journalism!
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