3-time Grade 1 winner Taiba is retired to stud at Spendthrift Farm
Taiba, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby and Grade 1 Malibu Stakes as a 3-year-old in 2022, has been retired from racing. He has taken up residency at Spendthrift Farm, where he will begin his stud career in 2024.
Taiba will stand for an introductory fee of $35,000 stands and nurses and is available for inspection by appointment.
Trained by Bob Baffert for Zedan Racing Stables, Taiba was a leading 3-year-old in North America in 2022, finishing second to Epicenter in the Eclipse Awards voting for champion 3-year-old male. A $1.7 million 2-year-old purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale, the talented chestnut broke his maiden on debut by 7 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita, stopping the clock in 1:09.97 for six furlongs and earning TDN Rising Star honors. He also earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.
In another feat, Taiba returned five weeks later to win the Santa Anita Derby in just his second start and first around two turns. His dominant 2 1/4-length victory in 1:48.46 for 1 1/8 miles earned him a 102 Beyer and a berth into the Kentucky Derby as the fastest horse going into last year’s coveted Run for the Roses. No horse had ever won the Santa Anita Derby off a six-furlong maiden win.
After narrowly losing a stretch duel to Cyberknife in the Haskell (G1), a more-seasoned Taiba turned the tables in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, defeating Zandon and Cyberknife with a decisive three-length victory. He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.67 and recorded a 108 Beyer. Taiba finished on the board behind Flightline in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, earning a career best 110 Beyer at the 1 1/4-mile distance.
Taiba closed out his successful 3-year-old campaign by cutting back to seven furlongs in the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita and dominating by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:21.75. He earned a 106 Beyer, giving him triple-digit Beyer numbers in all but one lifetime performance, from six furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.
After an eighth-place finish in the Saudi Cup on Feb. 25, Taiba retired with a record of 8: 4-1-1 and earnings of $2,356,200. Out of the 14-time stakes-winning Flatter mare Needmore Flattery, Taiba retires as Gun Runner’s only three-time Grade 1-winning son to date.
“Taiba is a special horse to us,” said Amr Zedan of Zedan Racing Stables. “He is the first horse to jump from a six-furlong maiden to immediately winning the Santa Anita Derby. I knew he was special and that is why I insisted he make that jump. He rose to the calling like the true champion he is and made us proud.”
“There are very few stallion prospects that tick all the boxes, to use the old cliché. Taiba is certainly one of those horses that possesses everything commercial breeders are looking for today, and we believe he will be wildly popular,” said Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey. “We are grateful to Mr. Zedan for the opportunity to stand such an exciting horse.”