Smith and Taiba look to make history in the Kentucky Derby

After selling for a cool $1.7 million at auction last spring, the colt who would be named Taiba was sent to trainer Bob Baffert’s Southern California stable to begin his life on the racetrack.

By early June, Taiba was up to five furlongs with his workouts and ready to be tested from the starting gate. Getting the assignment to help earn Taiba’s “gate card” from the Santa Anita starting crew? Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

“I was breezing him as a 2-year-old and got him OKed from the gate,” Smith reflected with Horse Racing Nation. “But they weren’t quite ready to run him yet. He was maybe a little slow out of there, so they wanted to give him some more time. But you could tell he was extremely talented. Once he got out of there and got running, I really loved the way he moved.”

It would be another 10 months before Smith and Taiba teamed up again. But what a reunion it would be. On April 9, in just Taiba’s second start and first around two turns, Smith guided the chestnut colt to an improbable berth in the 148th Kentucky Derby when winning the Santa Anita Derby by 2 1/4 lengths over the highly regarded Messier.

“It takes a different kind of horse to do what he did,” Smith said of Taiba’s rapid two-race ascent. “That is like Kobe Bryant coming out of high school and then scoring 50 points in his first NBA game. It’s really pretty incredible.”

Derby ride No. 28

Smith’s first mount in the Kentucky Derby came in 1984 when at the age of 19 he guided Pine Circle to a sixth-place finish for Shug McGaughey. Taiba on May 7 will be Smith’s 28th Kentucky Derby mount, which is the most in history by a jockey. In between those ride, the 56-year-old native of Dexter, N.M. would win the roses in both 2005 with 50-1 long shot Giacomo and again in 2018 when favorite Justify scored en route to a sweep of the Triple Crown.

If Smith were to win this year's Kentucky Derby with Taiba, he would surpass Bill Shoemaker as the oldest jockey to accomplish the feat. The legendary Shoemaker – who won four editions of the Kentucky Derby in 26 mounts – was 54 when he teamed with 73-year-old Charlie Whittingham to win the 1986 run for the roses with Ferdinand.

“That would be amazing, but winning the Kentucky Derby is amazing if you’re 16 or 60,” Smith explained. “I guess the main thing is it shows you can still compete at this level while towards the back-end of your career and still get the opportunity with these kinds of horses. Fortunately, early in my career I really started to take care of my body and it’s paying off. I just couldn’t be happier and feel more blessed.”

[Related: Kentucky Derby 2022: Earl full-field odds and analysis]

Making Smith’s latest Derby opportunity even more interesting is that prior to Taiba being a surprise entrant in the Santa Anita Derby, it looked possible he would miss his first Kentucky Derby since 2003 and just the second since 1990.

Corniche, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, looked to be Smith's Derby mount after they teamed for a perfect 3-for-3 campaign capped off by a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. That plan would never materialize. Corniche was sent to WinStar Farm in central Kentucky for a winter break, but was then ultimately withdrawn from Derby consideration by owner Speedway Stable. The Quality Road colt did not return to serious training until earlier this month.

Between Smith's Breeders’ Cup Juvenile triumph and the Santa Anita Derby, there were 30 Kentucky Derby preps contested in North America. He would ride in just one: a no-threat fourth in the March 5 San Felipe (G2) aboard 37-1 long shot Beautiful Art for trainer Simon Callaghan.

“I was blessed to come across an incredible horse in his own right last year in Corniche, and hopefully he’ll be coming back sometime soon, but after the Breeders’ Cup things got really slow,” said Smith, who in 2021 finished with a career-low 23 wins from 182 mounts (13 percent). “Then I just thought to myself, you know, I really feel incredible. I don’t feel like I have lost anything. Something big is still out there waiting for me.”

As entry day for the Santa Anita Derby approached, Taiba had to his credit just a maiden win going six furlongs under John Velazquez. Yes, it was a blowout victory that returned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure – the highest by any 3-year-old this year. But given the lack of experience, Yakteen and Gary Young, Zedan’s racing manager, had the colt ticketed to the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland two weeks later, which would possibly serve as a launching pad to the Preakness Stakes.

That conservative plan was overruled by Zedan. Nearly a year ago, the Saudi Arabian businessman thought he had achieved his first Kentucky Derby win when Medina Spirit crossed the wire first under the Twin Spires. It was not to be. Medina Spirit’s post-race drug test came back positive for the regulated medication betamethasone, which is banned on race day in Kentucky, and the Prontonico colt would ultimately be disqualified.

Zedan wanted a second crack at the roses. An executive decision came down. Taiba would be entered and Smith would ride.

“I waited and was patient, and then was blessed to come up with a horse like (Taiba),” Smith said. “It’s amazing what a good horse can do for you.”

(Casey Phillips/Eclipse Sportswire)

Historic paths of Taiba, Justify

Comparing a Triple Crown winner to a horse with just two starts is a tricky proposition, but at this point in their careers, the similarities between Justify and Taiba are more than sharing the same rider.

Both were unraced as a 2-year-old. Justify's first start came Feb. 18 of his sophomore season, while Taiba debuted March 5. The slightly earlier start date for Justify did allow him benefit of running in an allowance race prior to winning the Santa Anita Derby, unlike Taiba.

“They do remind me a lot of each other," Smith said. "Justify was a little taller, but they’re both good-sized, good-looking chestnuts who are very intelligent.”

Justify would then go on to become the first Kentucky Derby winner since Apollo in 1882 not to start as a 2-year-old. As for Taiba, he has his own shot at upending nearly 140 years of history. If he were to prevail, Taiba would be the first horse since Leonatus in 1883 to win the Derby with just two prior starts.

[Related: Kentucky Derby pedigrees: Taiba hopes to change Derby history]

“We all knew how talented Taiba was going into the Santa Anita Derby having run a 103 Beyer first out. But what I found out in that race is he’s what I call triple threat,”Smith explained.

“The first thing that impressed me was his quickness. He was a whole lot quicker than I was expecting. I could put him anywhere I wanted. The second thing is how intelligent he is,” Smith continued.

“He listened to everything I told him. I could have probably been laying second. But given he had just one start, I didn’t want to do that and then get pressed on the outside by Messier. I let (Taiba) know I wanted to sit back and he listened like he’s been doing it for 10 years.

“Then the third thing is I just love his stamina. What was freaky is he didn’t even begin do his best running until the final sixteenth of a mile. He just started to draw away.”

That Taiba was gaining momentum late in the Santa Anita Derby certainly bodes well for the added distance of the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby. Of course, it won't be merely four rivals to deal with at Churchill Downs like Santa Anita. Instead, it could be up to 19 horses he has to beat.

Smith did it once with one lightly-raced colt four years ago. Could it happen again with Taiba?

“Both are intelligent and listen to the rider, and both have that high-cruising speed where you can be on the lead or sit two or three lengths off," he said. “That's a potent combination to have in any race, but particularly the Kentucky Derby.”

The post position draw for the 148th Kentucky Derby will be held on Monday, May 2 beginning at 2 p.m. EDT.