ARCADIA, Calif. – Tim Yakteen advised against doing it. Gary Young advised against doing it. Amr Zedan heard it all, brushed it aside. Amr Zedan pays the bills. He who pays the bills gets final say. Zedan got his way. And then on a warm Saturday afternoon, with the heat turned up on an audacious bid, the colt Taiba rewarded Zedan’s faith and won the Grade 1, $750,500 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in only his second start, beating his accomplished stablemate Messier and four others. Looking far more seasoned than a horse with one six-furlong maiden win to his credit, Taiba hooked Messier at the top of the lane and then powered past him in the final furlong to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths. The rest were nowhere. It was 10 lengths back to Happy Jack in third, then came Armagnac, Win the Day, and finally Forbidden Kingdom, the even-money favorite who stopped badly after leading for the first six furlongs. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Taiba ($10.60), the third choice, completed 1 1/8 miles on the fast main track in 1:48.46. In addition to a first prize of $450,000, he earned 100 points toward a berth in the Kentucky Derby on May 7. Messier, eligible for points for the first time, picked up 40 points. Taiba was given a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Zedan, who also owned Medina Spirit, the disqualified winner of last year’s Derby, was the only one associated with Taiba who was eager to run. “He wanted to get back to the Derby,” Yakteen said. Yakteen had taken over as the trainer of Taiba and Messier owing to a suspension of their previous trainer, Bob Baffert. Young bought Taiba on behalf of Zedan last year as a 2-year-old in training for $1.7 million. Yakteen and Young told Zedan that running in this race, with such a thin resume, was a Herculean challenge. No horse had ever won the Santa Anita Derby off one prior start. “Amr made it clear,” Yakteen said in the winner’s circle. “He overruled me, overruled Gary Young. We told him the challenge. He had all the confidence. He took the gamble.” Taiba was stretching out from a six-furlong race against maidens five weeks earlier, in which he got a huge Beyer Speed Figure of 103. He was going 1 1/8 miles while making his two-turn debut in the biggest race of the season for California-based 3-year-olds. It mattered not. He won as best, and was pulling away at the end like he wanted more. “We knew it was going to be a big ask,” Yakteen said. “It’s hard to verbalize that he accomplished. You don’t see that unless it’s an extraordinary athlete. Messier ran lights out.” Yakteen’s head was spinning, as it has been for the past few weeks, since several owners with Baffert trainees asked him to take over. Now he’s going to the Derby with the top two out of this race. “It’s been a whirlwind,” he said. “Taken a bit to bring it all in. Overwhelming would be an understatement.” Taiba, by Gun Runner out of the Flatter mare Needmore Flattery, was purchased in March 2021 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale. He was sent west, and had his first work for Baffert at Santa Anita on April 15. He worked eight more times in preparation for an expected debut last summer, but went to the sidelines from June until November, when he began a new work pattern that led to his debut March 5. He romped by 7 1/2 lengths under John Velazquez, who remained with Messier for the Santa Anita Derby following Messier’s win in the Robert Lewis in February. On Saturday, Taiba, starting from the outside stall in the field of six, stalked the early pace under Mike Smith. Forbidden Kingdom, per usual, sped to the front. Messier, the 6-5 second choice, was stalking him, just behind and to his outside, with Taiba three deep around the first turn. The fractions were solid, with the quarter in 22.75 seconds, half in 46.70, and six furlongs in 1:10.97. Messier turned up the pressure on Forbidden Kingdom heading around the far turn, and Taiba kept pace, just behind and outside Messier. As the field turned into the stretch, Messier took over, and Forbidden Kingdom gave way, but Taiba kept coming. Messier fought him to the furlong grounds, but in the final 150 yards it was Taiba – with that one race to his credit – who overhauled Messier, far more experienced with five starts, and pulled off this monumental achievement. “It takes a really special one to pull something like that off,” said Smith, who has won the Kentucky Derby twice, with Giacomo and Justify. “Talent-wise he belongs with anybody.” Now it’s on to the Kentucky Derby. Safe to say, after Saturday, no one will say no.