Taj Mahal Books Preakness Berth With Dominant Tesio Score

Laurel Park, Md. — April 18, 2026.
If Saturday’s $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park is any indication, Taj Mahal will head to the Preakness Stakes (G1) as more than just a local curiosity. The colt secured his automatic berth with an emphatic, front‑running victory that left no doubt he belongs on racing’s biggest stage.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell and trained by Brittany Russell, Taj Mahal controlled the race from the outset despite turning in what Russell called “two runs in one.” The son of Tapit broke sharply, sprinted clear by several lengths heading into the backstretch, allowed the field to draw closer at the half‑mile, then re‑broke decisively entering the lane. He powered home under a hand ride to win by 8 ½ lengths, stopping the clock in 1:49.09for 1 ⅛ miles on a fast main track.

“He wanted to run early, then came back to me when I asked,” Sheldon Russell said afterward. “When I gave him his cue again, he just took off. He’s got a real engine.”

The commanding performance earned Taj Mahal a fees‑paid invitation to the $1.5 million Preakness Stakesat Pimlico Race Course on May 16.
For Brittany Russell—who captured her first Tesio in partnership with her husband as rider—the win was especially satisfying.

“We believed this horse would thrive with distance and maturity,” she said. “He’s learning how to channel that brilliance, and today he showed it perfectly.”

Taj Mahal now sports three wins from five career starts, all for owner Madaket Stables, and continues a spring campaign that has seen him progress steadily with each outing.

The Federico Tesio Stakes has long served as Maryland’s traditional “Win and You’re In” event for the Preakness, and Taj Mahal took full advantage—earning his chance to move from local success story to national spotlight next month at Pimlico.