Ageless Smith Ready to Take His Shot vs. Flightline

Like everyone else, Mike Smith knows the task in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) is monumental. Certainly, it's difficult. Maybe impossible.

The Hall of Fame jockey will climb aboard the flashy 3-year-old Taiba  in the finale of racing's biggest day at  Keeneland on Nov. 5. All they have to do is figure out a way to take down the imposing Flightline, the undefeated winner of all five of his career starts by a mind blowing combined 62 3/4 lengths. 

"He is certainly going to have to step forward," Smith said by phone from California about Taiba. "What it takes to beat a horse like (Flightline), no one knows. No one has come close. If he doesn't run his 'A' race, we'll see if that is good enough to beat him. Flightline, as we all know, as we have all seen, is spectacular, man. He is above and beyond everyone else. It's going to take an incredible effort by someone to beat him. If he runs his 'A' race, it's going to be very hard to beat him."

Smith has ridden Taiba, a son of Gun Runner  , in four of his five starts, including wins in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April and, in his most recent start, the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing on Sept. 24. Taiba is the 8-1 fourth choice in the field of eight on the Classic morning line.

The ageless Smith, who turned 57 in August, is the all-time jockey leader in Breeders' Cup wins (27) and earnings ($37,794,605). His 148 career mounts is second only to fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who has 201.

Besides Taiba, Smith has just one other Breeders' Cup mount this year, that being aboard Packs a Wahlop , who carries 6-1 odds on the morning line in Friday's $1 million Juvenile Turf (G1T).

"I'd like to be riding in every one of them," Smith said. "I just didn't have as much business. I usually have a nice 2-year-old but I just didn't make it with one this time. It is what it is. I'm just happy to be part of it and I'll make the most out of it."

Taiba, who is owned by Zedan Racing Stables, will start from the rail in the Classic. It has been common knowledge that the chestnut colt doesn't prefer being on the inside. Smith is not worried too much about it.

"It's the shortest way around," he said. "Sometimes, a bad post position can turn into a good one. We know we have to run (Flightline) down. We aren't going to be in front of him."

Since the Pennsylvania Derby, which Taiba won by three lengths, Smith said the colt has been training very well in California.

Bob Baffert, Taiba's Hall of Fame trainer, admits that his horse, who was purchased for $1.7 million—the highest price tag of any horse in the Classic—at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training sale, is a handful to train. And ride.

"Mike is starting to figure him out," Baffert said. "He's difficult to ride because he's just like a kid who's not going to do his homework. You've got to stay after him."

Smith got his jockey license at the age of 16 and has spent his life in the game. Besides his success in the Breeders' Cup, he won the Triple Crown in 2018 with Baffert's Justify  . He also has two other wins in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and one more in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1). He ranks third all-time in riding wins with 5,685.

And, when every big race comes around, Smith is asked how long he plans on doing this. The answer is always the same. That's because he continues to follow a rigorous workout routine that takes a couple hours out of his day five times a week.

"We all know that I am on the back end of it," Smith said. "But, I am still in good shape—I am solid, I can't be any fitter—and I am having a lot of fun. I am enjoying every bit of this. If I can pull off something like (the Classic), it would just be incredible."