BY PREAKNESS PRESS OFFICE (Edited)

LAUREL, MD—Undefeated back-to-back stakes winning Florida-bred Taj Mahal passed his last big test before the 151st Preakness Stakes (Grade 1) with a sharp five-furlong breeze Saturday morning over the main track at Laurel Park, where the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown will be run May 16.

Working in company with 5-year-old stakes-winning gelding Regalo at 6:15 a.m., Taj Mahal cruised through splits of :12.20, :24.20, :36.40 and :48 leading his workmate throughout and pulling away effortlessly down the lane, hitting the wire in 1:00.20 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.80, according to Laurel clockers. Exercise rider Alex Beitia was aboard Taj Mahal and the work was the fastest of nine at the distance.

 

“I feel great. We got it out of the way,” Laurel-based trainer Brittany Russell said. “He went well and it looks like he’s cooled out well. He’s really happy, so that’s kind of all you can ask.”

Russell’s husband, six-time Laurel leading rider Sheldon Russell, has been aboard Taj Mahal each of his three starts, all wins at Laurel. Russell will ride again in the mile-and-three-sixteenths Preakness. He was up on Regalo Saturday, giving him a rare glimpse of what other jockeys have seen so far.

“It looked good from where I was sitting,” Sheldon Russell said. “He’s coming off a bit of a layoff, but Regalo is a good work horse.”

Taj Mahal went solo in his May 2 breeze at Laurel, going five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.40 in his first piece of work since an eight-and-a-quarter-length romp in the nine-furlong, $150,000 Federico Tesio April 18 at Laurel that earned him an automatic berth in the Preakness.

Brittany Russell felt the Nyquist colt would benefit from some company this week.

“I told Sheldon, ‘You’re basically working this horse so just keep him in range to keep Taj focused.’ We did that before. He just wants to be too aggressive early on in his breeze. He’s a speed horse. That’s how he runs and that’s how he likes to work, so it went just as I expected,” she said. “Regalo is coming off a bit of a layoff so he’s not tuned up 100 percent, but he’s a good horse and a good work horse.”

Beitia, who works afternoons as a valet in Laurel’s jockey room, has been Taj Mahal’s regular morning partner since capturing his February 6 unveiling in a six-furlong maiden special weight. Taj Mahal returned just 15 days later with a determined front-running head triumph in the $100,000 Miracle Wood going a mile.

“[Taj Mahal was] steady, in hand, happy [and] galloped out good. We’re keeping it really simple,” Brittany Russell said. “Alex knows this horse. He’s breezed him pretty much every time. Sheldon breezed him before he broke his maiden to get to know him and everything, but Alex sits on him every day, so it makes sense. He knows him best.”

Taj Mahal is out of the stakes-placed Florida-bred mare Oola Gal, by Quality Road and was bred in Florida by Peter Vegso of Mt. Pleasant South Carolina in the name of his Vegso Racing Stable located in Ocala.

He is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Wavers Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan. He was purchased by Donota Lanni as an agent for SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables for $525,000 out of the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Eaton Sales.

Taj Mahal is scheduled to have a walk day Sunday and jog Monday to open Preakness week, though Russell is ready to call an audible, if necessary.

“We just want to keep it simple and keep him happy,” she said. “I’m going to play the weather over the next couple days. We’re supposed to get some rain. He’ll probably walk tomorrow and jog Monday [but] I’ll look at him in the morning. If he’s jumping out of his skin, he’ll go to the track. I kind of play it as I see it.”

Taj Mahal will be the first Triple Crown race starter for Russell.

–Brock Sheridan contributed to this report

Return to the May 9 issue of Wire to Wire