Taj Mahal eyes return to action
Could make next start in Nov. 28 City of Laurel
The Biz
November 6, 2026
Back in mid-October, trainer Brittany Russell told The Racing Biz that sophomore star Taj Mahal was “probably a little fitter” than she’d thought as he worked his way back from a break after tough outings in the Grade 1 Preakness and Grade 1 Woody Stephens.
Maybe so, but that hasn’t accelerated Russell’s timetable.
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Nearly five months after a pair of Grade 1 defeats interrupted his unbeaten start, the 3-year-old son of Nyquist is working toward a return in the seven-furlong City of Laurel Stakes Nov. 28 at Laurel Park. The horse, she says, is setting the timetable.
“I just like that we did the right thing by him,” she said.
A $525,000 yearling purchase racing for SF Racing and partners, Taj Mahal opened his career with three straight wins at Laurel. His 8 1/4-length romp in the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio Stakes sent him into the Grade 1 Preakness with a perfect record and a hometown following.
Bettors made him the lukewarm 9-2 favorite in the 1 3/16-mile classic. He led for much of the first mile before fading to 10th behind Napoleon Solo.
Five weeks later came another ambitious, Grade 1 assignment: the seven-furlong Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 6. Taj Mahal never got much involved and eased across the line last.
“We wheeled him back pretty quick,” Russell said. “And look, he was a tired horse after that, so we freshened him up, and we just kind of let him tell us when he was ready to get back to some serious work.”
The recent signals have been encouraging. Taj Mahal posted bullet half-mile works at Laurel in 49 seconds Oct. 21 and 47 3/5 seconds Nov. 1. Russell said in an interview with the Maryland Jockey Club press office that he has begun acting like himself over the last couple of weeks.
The comeback also offers a chance to sort out his preferred distance. Although the Tesio demonstrated his ability around two turns, Russell remains uncertain that longer races will ultimately suit him best. His speed and sharpness leaving the gate make seven furlongs a logical starting point.
The City of Laurel remains the target, provided the next few weeks go well. Getting him back to winning is the immediate goal; his spring already gave Russell and her team something to remember.
On Preakness day, the familiar horse path from the Laurel barns became something else. Family, friends and fans lined a route Taj Mahal takes to the track every day, cheering as he approached his biggest assignment.
“He felt the vibe. We all felt it,” Russell said.
The result did not erase what getting there meant, either to the barn or to the Maryland fans who followed his rise.
“He was really good for Maryland and the fans,” Russell said.
Now the focus returns to the horse and whether he is ready to pick up where his promising early season left off. Russell likes that his progress, rather than a looming deadline, is driving the preparation.
His next opportunity will come on familiar ground.
“I don’t feel like we’re trying to make a race,” she said.
For high-quality, early-season 3-year-olds, there can be a sense of urgency to ready them to compete in the many rich races in spring and summer. Now, with all of that in the rearview mirror, Russell’s got a different goal in mind.
“He traveled a lot of miles and and did a lot of things,” she said. “Look, he’s a good horse. I think now our main focus is just trying to get him back to being the horse that we know he is.”
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