The Preakness wasn’t what it should’ve been.
But Journalism (and Larry Collmus) did their best to make it a race for the ages. Journalism was favored to win the Kentucky Derby, but came in second to Sovereignty, and as you might imagine, yes, there were plenty of jokes. But the egg was on the face of horse racing, as Sovereignty opted to skip the Preakness, putting the spotlight on the Triple Crown schedule.
That’s something Awful Announcing’s Drew Lerner tackled, as did horse racing analyst Randy Moss. The latter claimed “the system was broken,” ahead of NBC’s coverage, lamenting the schedule that undoubtedly affected ratings. But it did nothing to affect Journalism, the horse, which had one of the greatest come-from-behind victories you’ll ever see in horse racing.
Just like it was favored to win the Kentucky Derby, Journalism was favored to win the Preakness, especially with Sovereignty bowing out of the race. At 8-5 odds, Journalism was supposed to run roughshod over the competition, but it wasn’t initially that way. The three-year-old Colt finished strong, securing a dramatic win in a race that technically meant little, but felt like everything.
And that’s where Larry Collmus stepped in and made it unforgettable.
“Journalism is getting closer now,” Collmus said, binoculars in hand. “He’s beyond a wall of horses. He’s looking for a place to go. And he’s got nowhere to go. Oh, he bumped Heart… And then, meanwhile, Gosger’s running the race of his life… Journalism is still running on. He’s back in second. He might’ve won it…. OH MY GOODNESS! JOURNALISM HAS WON THE PREAKNESS STAKES IN A PERFORMANCE LIKE YOU READ ABOUT!!!!”
Just listen to the moment yourself.
Larry Collmus was blown away watching Journalism’s incredible Preakness win! #Preakness150 pic.twitter.com/4LzUl1WeSi
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 18, 2025
And see a comeback for the ages, too.
A comeback for the ages. #Preakness150 pic.twitter.com/3Sm7Z3RYee
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 17, 2025
It wasn’t a Triple Crown moment. But it didn’t need to be.
Collmus helped make it one, though.
Larry Collmus is the most underrated broadcaster in all of sports and watching him call the Triple Crown is always a delight.
Think NBC should have a little box in the corner of the actual telecast showing how he calls it. So so cool to watch him do what he does best. Special https://t.co/F7w5enFwSO
— Jack Milko (@jack_milko) May 18, 2025
May be the greatest race call I’ve ever heard. https://t.co/NUBU25a7vb
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) May 18, 2025
My goodness @larrycollmus
As good as it gets…. https://t.co/HLmj2souqM
— Chris Carrino (@ChrisCarrino) May 18, 2025
Still get all the chills, Larry’s reaction shows you just how unlikely of a comeback this was from Journalism. https://t.co/kFUtgtmfSx
— Mike Somich (@Somobomb18) May 18, 2025
This is an incredible incredible call. https://t.co/UxMD31PouQ
— Bram Weinstein (@RealBramW) May 18, 2025
The race was messy, chaotic, and somehow unforgettable, and Larry Collmus matched it beat for beat. There was no smooth setup, no tidy crescendo. Just instinct. Pure reaction. You could hear the disbelief in his voice and see it in the way he threw his arms in the air, binoculars still in hand, as Journalism somehow found daylight and stormed ahead to do the unthinkable.
Collmus still can’t believe Journalism won.
I still can’t believe he won! https://t.co/U1MPeuOJrN
— Larry Collmus (@larrycollmus) May 18, 2025
And neither can anyone else.