Taishan, Venetian Harbor set for Arkansas Derby weekend

With his third-place finish in last Saturday's Oaklawn Stakes, Taishan earned an automatic berth into the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1), and “I don’t see why we shouldn’t take a shot,” said trainer Richard Baltas, who will have another major race entry that same weekend when Venetian Harbor goes as the possible favorite in the May 1 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for fillies.

Taishan was making his first start since a sharp first-level allowance victory on the Rebel Stakes (G2) undercard March 14.

The $1 million Rebel is traditionally the final major local prep for the Arkansas Derby. Taishan came out of the Oaklawn Stakes in good shape physically, Baltas said Wednesday afternoon, and already has returned to the track to train for the Arkansas Derby.

“I think the horse is doing well,” Baltas said. “I got his sheet number. It was actually like his best number ever. On the Thoro-Graphs, it was a 4. He has been running 5s. I thought he ran well. It was a very hot pace, he was parked wide, he made a little premature move, I think."

Rallying from farther off the pace, Mr. Big News and Farmington Road got up to run 1-2. The winner, Mr. Big News, isn't expected in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby, but Farmington Road stuck around at Oaklawn to wheel back in the race.

"The other horses came from way far back," Baltas said. "They were flying. Obviously, we were hoping at the top of the lane that he would keep going. In hindsight, to look at the chart, it looked like he ran a pretty good race.”

Taishan is among eight horses on the grounds for Baltas, who is based in Southern California. His Oaklawn division is overseen by assistant Aimee Dollase.

Recent arrival and Grade 2 winner Venetian Harbor was scheduled to work Friday morning in advance of a scheduled start in the Fantast.

Venetian Harbor was scheduled to run in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) April 4 before being rerouted to Oaklawn, he said. The filly joined Baltas’ local string after being flown Tuesday from Southern California.

“She’s been training forwardly, and I just kind of wanted to get her there,” Baltas said. “It seems like my horses are running better that have been there for a little bit, so that was kind of my decision to bring her early and not right on top of the race. Obviously, she’s a very talented horse and we’ll see what happens.”

A daughter of Munnings, Venetian Harbor has won two of three starts overall. She broke her maiden by 10 ¾ lengths Dec. 29 at Santa Anita and was a 9 ¼-length winner of her last start, the Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) on Feb. 8 at Santa Anita.

The Fantasy will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks, which has been moved from May 1 to Sept. 4. The Arkansas Derby awards the same points toward the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.