Ky. Derby winner Mage second choice in $1 million Haskell. A Baffert horse is the favorite.

We’re about to find out if Arabian Knight’s talent can match the hype surrounding the lightly raced 3-year-old Thoroughbred.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Arabian Knight was installed Wednesday as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Arabian Knight, undefeated in only two starts after sitting out the entire 2023 Triple Crown series, will face a field of seven other 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 race. That field includes 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, who will be racing for the first time since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes on May 20. Also running in the Haskell is Tapit Trice, who won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in April before finishing seventh in the Run for the Roses and third in the Belmont Stakes.

Mage, trained by Gustavo Delgado, will race from post position No. 4 in the Haskell at morning-line odds of 3-1. Tapit Trice, the co-second choice also at 3-1, is in stall No. 5 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Arabian Knight won his first career race Nov. 5, 2022, at Keeneland, a maiden special weight event on the Breeders’ Cup undercard in which he romped to victory by 7 1/4 lengths. He returned to the track Jan. 28 in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and won by 5 1/2 lengths, immediately emerging as a top contender for this year’s Kentucky Derby.

He has not raced since then.

Because of Baffert’s ongoing suspension by Churchill Downs, Arabian Knight was transferred to the barn of Tim Yakteen ahead of the Triple Crown series.

Then, on March 12, owner Amr Zedan announced that Arabian Knight was being taken out of training.

“Trainer Tim Yakteen wasn’t happy with his last work & we feel it’s in Arabian Knight’s best interest not to rush & allow him more time to develop,” Zedan tweeted, saying that the 3-year-old would be pointed toward a return to racing in the summer and fall.

Yakteen told the Daily Racing Form at the time that Arabian Knight was not injured.

“After talking with Amr, he’s a super-gifted horse, but we’re up against it,” Yakteen said at the time. “We want to give him a chance to be the best horse he can be.

“We’re under a time constraint, the weather. Look at what we’ve been dealing with. You don’t want to put a square peg in a round hole.

“It’s going to be a fun summer to watch him campaign. I think you’ll see him a lot sooner than you think.”

Arabian Knight was moved shortly thereafter back to Baffert’s barn. He will be ridden Saturday by another Hall of Famer, three-time Kentucky Derby winner John Velazquez, who won the 2023 Preakness Stakes aboard another Baffert horse, National Treasure.

Mage will be ridden by Javier Castellano and Tapit Trice by Luis Saez.

The remainder of the Haskell field consists of 3-year-olds, like Arabian Knight, who skipped the 2023 Triple Crown series.

Geaux Rocket Ride (9-2), Extra Anejo (5-1), Salute the Stars (8-1), Howgreatisnate (20-1) and Awesome Strong (30-1) round out the field.

The Haskell is a “Win and You’re In” event for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita later this year.

Haskell Stakes

What: $1 million, Grade 1 stakes race for 3-year-olds

Where: Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

When: Saturday

TV: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Distance: 1 1/8 miles (dirt)

Favorite: Arabian Knight (5-2)

Haskell Stakes field

1. Geaux Rocket Ride (9-2)

2. Awesome Strong (30-1)

3. Salute the Stars (8-1)

4. Mage (3-1)

5. Tapit Trice (3-1)

6. Howgreatisnate (20-1)

7. Extra Anejo (5-1)

8. Arabian Knight (5-2)