Zedan Racing’s TAIBA – a $1.7 million juvenile at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale – made his long-awaited debut March 5th, and showed he’s all talent to earn “TDN Rising Star” honors.
The overwhelming 1-2 favorite broke well, but had to settle for a pressing spot in between rivals early. Jockey John Velazquez tapped on the gas entering the bend and TAIBA took a narrow lead at that point. After a :45.69 half, it quickly became a one-horse affair as TAIBA leveled off and exploded with efficient strides to run up the score to 7 1/2 lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:09.97.
The son of Gun Runner earned an impressive 103 Beyer speed figure for his breakout performance.
| HORSE | RACE NAME | TRACK | RACE # | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nafisa | MSW | SA | 9 | 04/20/25 |
| Zabo | MSW | SA | 3 | 04/19/25 |
| HORSE | RACE | PLACE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes | Santa Anita Derby [G1] | 5th | 04/05/25 |
| Nafisa | MSW | 2nd | 03/28/25 |
| Barnes | DK Horse San Felipe S. [G2] | 2nd | 03/01/25 |
| Nafisa | MSW | 2nd | 03/01/25 |
| Nafisa | MSW | 2nd | 01/26/25 |