ARCADIA, Calif. — Tim Yakteen has been to the Kentucky Derby with good horses just before. Now the coach is at Churchill Downs in charge for the 1st time with two top rated contenders that employed to be skilled by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has been to the Kentucky Derby with good horses just before. Now the trainer is at Churchill Downs in charge for the initial time with two best contenders that made use of to be trained by Corridor of Famer Bob Baffert.
Yakteen labored two different stints before in his profession as an apprentice underneath Baffert, who won’t be at the Derby on Saturday due to the fact he’s serving a 90-working day suspension imposed by Kentucky racing officials. The six-time Derby winner also has been banned for two yrs by Churchill Downs Inc.
It could feel not comfortable to most all people besides Yakteen.
“I wouldn’t say that I think that there is any awkwardness there,” he said. “I just truly feel genuinely lucky and fortunate.”
A surprised Yakteen took calls from the entrepreneurs of Messier and Taiba inquiring him to teach their budding stars.
“I was honored they experienced the self esteem that I could go on to have the torch,” he reported, perched on a trunk in close proximity to Messier’s stall in his Santa Anita barn.
Baffert relinquished the colts to provide the punishment handed down just after very last year’s Derby winner, Medina Spirit, analyzed constructive for an anti-inflammatory treatment that is not allowed on race day.
Baffert’s suspension bars him from Santa Anita and Yakteen stated they’ve had no discussions due to the fact he took cost of Messier, the early 8-1 third preference in the Derby, and Taiba, a 12-1 shot.
Taiba is owned by Amr Zedan, who campaigned Medina Spirit right before that colt died in December after a exercise routine at Santa Anita.
Yakteen has about 30 horses of varying qualities in his barn. Incorporating Messier and Taiba has delivered a jolt of optimistic energy, he stated.
“I have never ever, ever woken up and not desired to go to function,” he reported. “I appreciate it tremendously.”
Yakteen’s profession highlights contain four Grade 1 stakes victories, which include Taiba in the current Santa Anita Derby, and an Eclipse Award for winner sprinter Points Offthebench. He has a lot more than 250 career victories and purse earnings of more than $12 million.
Corridor of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Taiba in the Derby, acquiring efficiently teamed with Yakteen in California.
“He’s one of people fellas you come to feel assured when you trip for him,” Smith explained. “He’s been close to extensive sufficient. I think he’ll be wonderful.”
Yakteen was lifted in Germany, the place his Lebanese father was stationed with the U.S. Army just after becoming an American citizen.
He moved to the U.S. at age 18 in 1982, becoming a member of a sister who lived next to Los Alamitos racetrack in Cypress, Calif. He attended the races for the initial time and was hooked.
“That night was electrifying and it is been with me ever due to the fact,” he reported.
He acquired a working day occupation at the observe doing work in publicity, team product sales and advertising. At evening, he’d observe the races.
It wasn’t long before Yakteen built his way to the secure place, offering to function for cost-free filling water buckets and mucking stalls. He took up living in a tack area.
“I appreciated just about every facet of it,” he mentioned. “I had a objective that I wanted to be component of the field.”
Following starting with harness horses, Yakteen got hired by a white-haired quarter horse trainer named Baffert, who had still left Arizona to chase his own aspiration. When Baffert switched to thoroughbreds in 1988, Yakteen stayed with him.
A few several years afterwards, Yakteen was in the racing workplace at Santa Anita when he crossed paths with Corridor of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham, who mentioned hi there.
“I was like, ‘Wow, the pope spoke to me,’ ” Yakteen said. “The timing was perfect.”
He joined Whittingham’s steady as an assistant. By 1994, Yakteen was at his initially Kentucky Derby serving to with 2nd-put finisher Strode’s Creek.
Two many years later, he and Whittingham returned with a Derby runner. At the identical time, Baffert was ending 2nd with Cavonnier in his first Derby.
In 1997, Yakteen returned to Baffert’s barn and for the upcoming seven a long time he was portion of the team that labored with back-to-again Kentucky Derby winners Silver Allure and Serious Tranquil and 2001 Derby winner War Emblem.
Acquiring figured out tolerance and the skill to browse a horse’s subtle symptoms from Baffert and Whittingham, Yakteen opened his personal steady in 2004.
By then, he had married Millie Ball, an exercising rider for Baffert. She’s now a host and reporter for digital horse racing network XBTV.
The couple’s two sons, 16-year-old Sam and 14-yr-outdated Ben, will be at home “pouting” about missing the Derby due to the fact of faculty, Yakteen mentioned
What will take place right after the Derby is up in the air.
Yakteen mentioned there’s been no discussions about irrespective of whether Messier and Taiba will remain in his barn. Baffert’s suspension runs by way of July 2, maintaining him out of the Preakness on May perhaps 21 and the Belmont on June 11.“It’s like having a lottery ticket sort of fall in your lap,” he stated. “Now we’re trying to dollars it.”
“I’m retaining my fingers crossed that if we have a thriving campaign that will be a real looking possibility,” Yakteen stated.
At 57, Yakteen is familiar with the big odds a coach faces in acquiring one horse to the Kentucky Derby. And he has two.
— AP
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