BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Taj Mahal, the quick Florida-bred who suffered his first career loss as the post time favorite in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes three weeks ago, shortens up to seven furlongs Saturday in the $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun (Grade 1) at Saratoga Race Course. Taj Mahal has drawn the outside post nine among the nine 3-year-olds entered.
A victory by Taj Mahal would also earn a $7,500 Export Incentive for the out-of-state victory paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Ownes’ Association to breeder Peter Vegso of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina and his Ocala-based Vegso Racing Stable.
Taj Mahal goes seven furlongs for the first time and makes his first start at a track other than Laurel Park where trainer Brittany Russell is based. The bay son of Nyquist came from off the pace to break his maiden by four-and-a-half lengths going six furlongs in February in the only race in which he has not been in front for the first half mile.
He led from the start to win the $100,000 Miracle Wood at a mile on February 21 and then dominated the $150,000 Federico Tesio on April 18, winning in wire-to-wire fashion by four-and-a-half lengths after nine furlongs—earning his fees paid invitation into the Preakness.
After breaking from post one in the Preakness, jockey Sheldon Russell had him a length in front of eventual winner Napoleon Solo through six furlongs in 1:12.08 but Taj Mahal faded in the stretch to finish tenth of 14.
Owned by the large partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, Taj Mahal has earned $178,200 from three wins in four starts.
He is out of Oola Gal, by Quality Road and will be ridden for the first time by Manny Franco. He is 15-1 in the program.
Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle Crude Velocity, who is undefeated in three career starts.
Crude Velocity was a $250,000 purchase by Bill Childs, who heads the CSLR Racing Partners ownership team, at the 2025 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale where he was consigned by Omar Ramirez. However, Crude Velocity did not make his first start until March of this year when he took a six-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita.
He then won a first level, $50,000 optional claiming by nearly seven lengths at the same distance on April 4 before shipping to Churchill Downs for the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 2. Crude Velocity pressed Woody Stephens entrant Englishman thorough six furlongs before kicking clear in the stretch to win by three-and-three-quarters lengths.
Crude Velocity has been ridden by Florent Geroux in his three previous races and will again have Geroux aboard Saturday. An earner of $522,820, Crude Velocity is the 9-5 morning line favorite and will break from post six.
Rounding out the field are Gilded Bandit and jockey Junior Alvarado, Obliteration, winner of the Listed Chick Lang in his last start on May 16 on the Preakness undercard, will have John Velazquez up; Six Speed, who set the pace in the Derby before finishing twelfth, has Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride; Stradale will have Ricardo Santana Jr. in the saddle, Flavien Prat has the call on Bay Shore (Listed)-winner Solitude Dude, Jose Ortiz will guide Englishman and Antonio Fresu rides Civil Liberty.
Return to the June 4 issue of Wire to Wire
