Now back in the Baffert fold, Taiba revs up for Haskell

The lightly raced and vastly talented Taiba was scheduled to ship from California to New Jersey on Tuesday as a confirmed runner in the $1 million Haskell Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

It’s a return to the spotlight for nine-time Haskell-winning trainer Bob Baffert, whose 90-day suspension stemming from Medina Spirit’s contested medication-related disqualification in the 2021 Kentucky Derby ended July 3.

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Baffert was still active when Amr Zedan’s Taiba, a $1.7 million 2-year-old in training purchase, won his career debut March 3 – earning a blockbuster 103 Beyer Speed Figure – but Taiba had been transferred to trainer Tim Yakteen when Taiba won the Santa Anita Derby on April 9 and when he finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby.

Moved into the barn of Sean McCarthy, Taiba had his first post-Derby workout on June 3, posting subsequent works on June 8, June 13, June 19, and June 25 with Baffert still on suspension. Taiba didn’t work again until 12 days later, July 7, after he had returned to Baffert’s barn, and it was only after Taiba breezed five furlongs in 59.40 on Friday, July 15, and came out of the work in good shape that Baffert committed the Gun Runner colt to the Haskell.

“The horse is doing good. He just needed to show me the other day,” Baffert said in a Monday phone interview.

Baffert said not to read anything into the gap in Taiba’s works between June 25 and July 7. Still, Taiba is coming to the Haskell with a different work pattern than other Baffert-trained horses that won the race. In 2020, Authentic worked on June 22, June 28, July 4, and July 11 before winning the July 18 Haskell. In 2015, American Pharoah worked on July 12, July 18, July 23, and July 28 before winning the Haskell on Aug. 2. The year before, Bayern won on July 27 after working July 4, July 10, July 16, and July 21, and in 2012, Paynter worked July 4, July 11, July 18, and July 23 before the July 29 Haskell.

Baffert races many of his horses in blinkers from the start of their career, but Taiba goes without blinkers in his races and won’t wear them in the Haskell. Taiba, trained by Yakteen, worked in blinkers before the Kentucky Derby, but video of his workouts before the barn change early this spring show the colt working without blinkers. He worked without blinkers June 3, worked in them again the next four times for Yakteen, but worked without them in his two recent breezes with Baffert at the helm.

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Taiba never has been a flashy work horse and nearly always breezes in company to hold the colt’s interest.

“He reminds me of Silver Charm,” said Baffert, referring to his 1997 Derby and Preakness winner. “He’s only going to work as fast as the horse he works with.”

Taiba could be second choice in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell behind Jack Christopher, winner of the Pat Day Mile and the Woody Stephens in his two starts at age 3. Both those races were contested around one turn and the Haskell marks Jack Christopher’s two-turn debut.

Others expected to be entered when the Haskell is drawn Wednesday are Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife, White Abarrio, Howling Time, and Benevengo.

In a previous version of this article, it was misstated that Taiba worked for Tim Yakteen after the Kentucky Derby. He had worked while under the care of trainer Sean McCarthy.