Justin Curran: ‘The Kentucky Derby Is The Holy Grail And Journalism Could Be Very, Very Good’

[Wandering Eyes]

Justin Curran, assistant trainer to Michael McCarthy, has described the Kentucky Derby as “the holy grail” and said Journalism (Curlin) winning the first leg of the American Triple Crown would complete a long-held ambition of being associated with a winner of the great race. 

The Irish native, who spent time working with Dermot Weld and Todd Pletcher before joining McCarthy seven years ago, has been around some genuine top-notchers but freely admits that Journalism is close to entering that elite bracket. 

Journalism has mopped up some of the key Kentucky Derby trials on the West Coast and will line out for Saturday's race as a warm order at odds of 5-2. The belief is rising within the camp, but so too are the butterflies. 

“For me, it's the race I'd want to win the most,” Curran explained. “It's the pinnacle of American racing and it's what you get into the business for. I'd love to be associated with a Kentucky Derby winner and hopefully it will be this year with Journalism. Horses like this are why we get out of bed at four in the morning and miss family events. It's the holy grail.”

He added, “It's a different experience to last year, where we obviously had a long-shot [Endlessly (Oscar Performance)] running in the race. It's exciting. I've been based with Michael for seven years now but we've had a relationship that extends back to our days working together at Todd Pletcher's.”

Curran has surrounded himself with high-class horses since graduating from RACE back in 2001. Rags to Riches, Scat Daddy, City Of Light, Media Puzzle and Refuse to Bend are just some of the household names that he has worked closely with and the hope is that Journalism will be the latest-and possibly the best. 

“Rags To Riches is probably the best horse that I have ever been associated with to date,” he explained. “I was the exercise rider for her and she was a tremendous filly–she actually beat Curlin, the sire of Journalism, in the Belmont Stakes. I think no filly had actually won the Belmont Stakes for 105 years before she managed to do it so she was pretty special. But Journalism is right there towards the top. Obviously when I worked for Dermot Weld back home in Ireland, I was around horses like Grey Swallow, Media Puzzle and Refuse To Bend–all very accomplished horses and with Todd, he had the likes of Scat Daddy, English Channel and Flower Alley. I've been very lucky to have put myself in spots where I have been surrounded by some top quality horses.”

The racing game-particularly in America-can be all-encompassing. With top-class racing taking place across the country virtually all-year round, it can be hard to step off the hamster wheel. But something had to give about a decade back when, keen not to miss his kids growing up, Curran took a sabbatical from the sport. 

He explained, “I did, I took a step back. I actually spent a bit of time in Dubai as well, where I was assistant to Erwan Charpy, but when I came back I went and got my real estate licence. My kids were growing up and I didn't want to miss it. When you work as an assistant trainer in America, you have to travel a lot, and I didn't want to get stuck on that wheel when my kids were at an age where I needed to be around. But Michael has had a year-round presence in Kentucky for the past six years and that has allowed me to stay in the one place so that's why it works.”

Curran added, “The time away from the sport provided me with a different perspective. I went to the RACE Academy on the Curragh when I was 15 years old and was basically working with horses ever since. Seeing a different perspective was good but, ultimately, working with horses is what I was cut out to do and I was always going to come back to the sport.”

There was a brief period when Curran contemplated a career as a jockey and he actually managed to win one of the most prestigious apprentice races in the programme book, the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh just a year after graduating from RACE. However, that proved to be the only winner that Curran managed to steer in his time at Rosewell House, during which he came to a crossroads and opted to go West and across the Atlantic Ocean. 

He said, “When I got into the game, my full intention was to become a jockey! I was just over eight stone at 16 and, believe it or not, I actually won the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh for Dermot Weld on a horse called Sights On Gold (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) in the colours of Moyglare Stud back in 2002. He actually went on to become quite an accomplished horse for Godolphin so, basically, I just steered him around that day at the Curragh-he was absolutely lumped in! He went off 7-2 but if a more accomplished rider would have ridden him he would have been 1-20. I realised pretty quickly that I wasn't going to make a career out of being a jockey. I was getting big at the time and Sights On Gold was the only winner that I ever managed to ride on the track. So when it came to deciding the next chapter, it was going to be the Irish National Stud course or go to America, and I opted for the latter.”

It has proved an inspired move and, while he hasn't completely lost his County Wicklow twang, Curran admits to have been completely caught up in Derby fever and the magic that comes with being associated with the favourite for the race. 

“I've never been associated with a Kentucky Derby winner but I have always been fascinated with the race. I can remember watching Fusaichi Pegasus win the race from Ireland back in 2000 and I think that's what first drew my attention into how special this race is. 

“Journalism could be very, very good. The Derby can be an outlier sometimes. If you can imagine the Breeders' Cup and then multiply by five or six, then you've got the Derby. The magnitude of it is amazing. I am in Louisville all year round and, if anybody knows that you're connected to a horse, the questions are always Derby, Derby, Derby. I've never experienced the build-up to the Melbourne Cup but I'm sure it's pretty similar.”

Curran added, “Journalism ran three times within the space of seven weeks as a two-year-old, which isn't typical of something that Michael would normally do, but the horse had been taking his work well and showing all of the signs that he was capable of doing something like that. He got a minor sickness in January but pointed to the San Felipe Stakes, where he beat the highly-touted Barnes before winning the Santa Anita Derby, which was the final big Kentucky Derby prep for the horses on the west coast. Now we're here. We're obviously nervous but we're excited as well. In this business, you just can't expect anything but we're very hopeful. We just want to get him into the starting gate and hopefully everyone gets a clean trip and the best horse wins.”

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