Grade 1 star Taiba retired to stand at Spendthrift Farm for $35,000

Zedan Racing Stables’ multiple Grade 1 winner Taiba has been retired from racing and will stand for a $35,000 fee at Spendthrift Farm, where he will begin his stud career in 2024.

Latterly trained by Bob Baffert, the Gun Runner colt was a winner of Santa Anita Derby, Pennsylvania Derby and Malibu Stakes as a three-year-old in 2022.

"There are very few stallion prospects that tick all the boxes, to use the old cliche. 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.

"Taiba will be afforded every resource necessary to have a successful stallion career, and we think he has a big chance to hopefully replicate some of the good fortune we’ve had in recent years in terms of developing young sires. We invite all breeders to make an appointment with one of our sales guys to come out and see him. He’s really a stunning individual."

The chestnut, who finished on the board behind Flightline in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, was last seen in late February in the Saudi Cup.

"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 Grade 1 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."

Out of the 14-time stakes-winning Flatter mare Needmore Flattery, Taiba earned $2,356,200 in his racing career. It was announced earlier this week that he would be retiring to Spendthrift at the end of his career along with top-class performers Zandon and Arabian Lion.

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