Haikal

Kentucky Derby Horse Profile

Shadwell Stable homebred Haikal will be trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's ninth runner in the Kentucky Derby (G1) when lining up on the first Saturday in May. The bay colt will also be making his first start outside of New York's Aqueduct, where he has spent his 5-3-1-1 career thus far. At the Big A, Haikal broke his maiden by a neck in his second try and took the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes by that same margin one race later. Following a length victory in the Gotham Stakes (G3) in early March, the son of Grade 1 scorer Daaher came running late from well back in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) to be third on the wire. Haikal is out of the unraced Distorted Humor mare Sablah, making him a half-brother to Grade 1-winning sprinter Takaful.