It takes a special horse to win in stakes company in their second career start, but Brittany Russell believes that Taj Mahal is worthy of the challenge. The precocious colt still has plenty to prove, but he has given his trainer every indication that he’s ready to run big in the $100,000 Miracle Wood Stakes on Saturday. “Obviously, a first-level allowance for Taj was in discussion,” Russell said. “But you know what? We’ve taken our time with him to this point. He’s gotten a lot of time. He’s doing well, and sometimes you just hope to strike when the iron’s hot.” When the field of seven 3-year-olds was first drawn, it appeared that Russell’s second-time starter would be overshadowed by Balboa, his seasoned stablemate coming off a runner-up finish in the $150,000 Jerome at Aqueduct. But Russell said she intends to scratch the stakes-placed colt and plans to bring him back to New York for the Grade 3 Gotham next weekend. Unsure of where Balboa would go earlier this month, Russell nominated Taj Mahal for this stakes on Feb. 6, the same day he debuted. Having locked up a 4 1/4-length maiden victory, for which he earned a 72 Beyer Speed Figure, he will now stretch out to a mile on a two-week turnaround. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “We really liked him going into the first one,” Russell said. “I will be honest – I can’t say running him back in two weeks is my favorite part about it, but he certainly seems to be doing well.” Taj Mahal is one of three last-out maiden winners in the field, along with Higher Sense and No More Calls. With Balboa scratched, Let’s Go Lando will be the only runner in the six-horse Miracle Wood with multiple victories. The gelding spent most of his juvenile campaign running behind his stablemates in Gary Capuano’s loaded barn, including Probably Dreaming and Wild Warrior. Let’s Go Lando’s statebred maiden special weight victory in November felt like more of a concession than a triumph, but in his 3-year-old debut Jan. 10 at Laurel, he finally made a name for himself in a six-length romp in allowance company. He relished the one-turn mile on a sloppy track that day, earning a much-improved 79 Beyer. “He was running against some decent kind of horses, and he was always right there,” Capuano said. “He’s getting close and he’s just an improving horse, a happy horse. We’ll see if he can take this step.” Close the Gate, a 9 3/4-length maiden winner in January, stepped up in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid on Feb. 4 and finished three-quarters of a length behind Hollywood Import, now a two-time stakes winner for Capuano. Close the Gate will try his first route distance for trainer John Salzman Jr. on Saturday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.