Cyberknife | |
---|---|
![]() Cyberknife walking out of the paddock before winning the 2022 Haskell. | |
Sire | Gun Runner |
Grandsire | Candy Ride (ARG) |
Dam | Awesome Flower |
Damsire | Flower Alley |
Sex | Colt |
Foaled | 14 March 2019 [1] |
Country | United States |
Color | Chestnut |
Breeder | Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey |
Owner | Gold Square |
Trainer | Brad H. Cox |
Record | 13: 5-4-1 |
Earnings | $2,137,520 [2] |
Major wins | |
Arkansas Derby (2022) Matt Winn Stakes (2022) Haskell Stakes (2022) | |
Last updated on 28 January 2023 |
Cyberknife (foaled 14 March 2019) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who has won multiple Grade I events as a three-year-old in 2022 including the Arkansas Derby and Haskell Stakes. [2]
Cyberknife is a chestnut colt that was bred in Kentucky by Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey. His sire is Gun Runner, the 2017 American Horse of the Year and stands at Three Chimneys Farm and his dam is Awesome Flower who was sired by the 2005 Travers Stakes winner Flower Alley. [3]
He was bought by Joe Hardoon on behalf of Al Gold's Gold Square, for US$400,000 from the Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey's Ramsey Farm consignment at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. He is the fourth foal and first stakes winner for Awesome Flower. [4]
Cyberknife began his racing career on 25 September in a Maiden Special Weight event over 6 furlongs at Churchill Downs. Starting as the 6/5 favorite in a field of nine, he began awkwardly, recovering to stalk the leader, then forging ahead three wide while shifting inwards and bumping Hoist the Gold in upper stretch. He dueled that rival while maintaining a narrow margin through the lane and prevailed. [5] However, after a stewards’ inquiry into the incident in the stretch, Cyberknife was disqualified and placed second.
On 5 November, he returned to the track at Churchill Downs in a Maiden Special Weight event over 6+1⁄2 furlongs. Starting as the 2/5 favorite, Cyberknife tracked the pace early, was in the four path into the lane, made a bid down the lane, drifted out a bit, then lugged in and did not have enough in the final stages to defeat Classic Moment. [6]
For his third attempt to break his maiden, Cyberknife was moved to the Fair Grounds in New Orleans where he on 26 December broke his maiden over the 1+1⁄16 miles distance, holding off Jeeper by 1⁄2 length. [7]
On 22 January, Cyberknife faced eight rivals in his first run in a graded event, the Grade III Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds. He settled off of the pace four wide, inched closer in the five path and outside of rivals around the far turn to attempt a bid approaching the lane but flattened out in upper stretch to finish sixth, beaten by over 10 lengths. [8]
On 19 February, Cyberknife dropped in class to an Allowance Optional Claiming event over 1+1⁄16 miles and dispatched his 9 foes as the 9/5 favorite, winning by three lengths. [9]
In his next start on 2 April, Cyberknife at odds of nearly 6/1 won the Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park by 2+3⁄4 lengths over Barber Road and the filly Secret Oath, securing 100 points for the Kentucky Derby and qualifying for the event. [4] Trainer Brad Cox commented, "This is a good colt. We've liked him for a long, long, time. I was a little taken back by his Lecomte but he ran very well in the allowance race. He's not polished mentally but he's getting there all the time. The more he races, the better he'll get. He's starting to put it all together." [4]
In the Kentucky Derby Cyberknife failed to fire, finishing well back in eighteenth place after being fanned eight wide into the first turn. [10]
One month later, he was entered in the Grade III Matt Winn Stakes and as the 1/2 favorite prevailed by a nose over Howling Time. [10] Jockey Florent Geroux commented, "He was traveling well and (Howling Time) was really game on my inside. We were battling the whole stretch. I couldn’t tell which one of us won, but I’m glad it was Cyberknife." [10]
Six weeks later, Cyberknife travelled to the Jersey Shore track of Monmouth Park for the Grade I Haskell Stakes. Facing a field including undefeated Jack Christopher, he was made 8/1 fourth pick in a field of eight. [11] With a patient ride by regular rider Florent Geroux, he surged to a head victory in a track-record time of 1:46.24 for 1+1⁄8 miles over the Bob Baffert-trained Taiba with Jack Christopher (3/5on) in third place. Al Gold, whose Gold Square owns Cyberknife and who calls Monmouth Park his home away from home, commented, "I have a lot of great memories here, and this is the best horse I've ever had. It's his second grade 1. It's a special feeling. There are no words to describe it." [3]
The Travers Stakes on 27 August attracted the top three finishers in the Kentucky Derby: (Rich Strike, Epicenter, and Zandon). Other entries included Preakness winner Early Voting and Cyberknife. [12] Cyberknife started as the 9/2-second favorite and set moderate fractions for the first three-quarters of a mile. Epicenter then began his move on the outside, taking the lead at the quarter-pole. He continued to draw away down the stretch to win by 5+1⁄4 lengths with Cyberknife finishing second, Zandon third, and Rich Strike fourth. [13]
Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning Time | Winning (Losing) Margin | Jockey | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 – Two-year-old season | |||||||||||
25 Sep 2021 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Churchill Downs | 1.20* | 9 | 2 [lower-alpha 1] | 1:09.64 | 1⁄2 length | Martin Garcia | [5] | |
5 Nov 2021 | 6+1⁄2 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Churchill Downs | 0.40* | 10 | 2 | 1:16.68 | (1⁄2 length) | Martin Garcia | [6] | |
26 Dec 2021 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Maiden Special Weight | Fair Grounds | 0.50* | 9 | 1 | 1:44.90 | 1⁄2 length | Florent Geroux | [7] | |
2022 – Three-year-old season | |||||||||||
22 Jan 2022 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Lecomte Stakes | III | Fair Grounds | 5.20 | 9 | 6 | 1:44.36 | (10+1⁄2 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [8] |
19 Feb 2022 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Allowance Optional Claiming | Fair Grounds | 1.80* | 10 | 1 | 1:42.53 | 3 lengths | Florent Geroux | [9] | |
2 Apr 2022 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Arkansas Derby | I | Oaklawn Park | 5.80 | 9 | 1 | 1:50.42 | 2+3⁄4 lengths | Florent Geroux | [14] |
7 May 2022 | 1+1⁄4 miles | Kentucky Derby | I | Churchill Downs | 14.90 | 20 | 18 | 2:02.61 | (42+3⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [15] |
12 Jun 2022 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Matt Winn Stakes | III | Churchill Downs | 0.50* | 7 | 1 | 1:41.98 | nose | Florent Geroux | [16] |
23 Jul 2022 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Haskell Stakes | I | Monmouth Park | 7.80 | 8 | 1 | 1:46.24 [lower-alpha 2] | head | Florent Geroux | [11] |
27 Aug 2022 | 1+1⁄4 miles | Travers Stakes | I | Saratoga | 4.50 | 8 | 2 | 2:00.72 | (5+1⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [17] |
24 Sep 2022 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Pennsylvania Derby | I | Parx Racing | 4.10 | 11 | 3 | 1:48.67 | (6+3⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [18] |
5 Nov 2022 | 1 mile | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | I | Keeneland | 3.26 | 9 | 2 | 1:35.33 | (head) | Florent Geroux | [19] |
2023 – six-year-old season | |||||||||||
29 Jan 2023 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Pegasus World Cup | I | Gulfstream Park | 2.10* | 12 | 6 | 1:49.44 | (9+3⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [20] |
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Cyberknife was the post-time favorite.
On 7 August 2022 that Cyberknife's breeding rights had been acquired by Spendthrift Farm. Owner Gold commented "I'm excited about teaming with Spendthrift on Cyberknife, and I look forward to watching him have a productive stallion career." [21] In 2023 Cyberknife would stand for a fee of $30,000. [22]
Sire Gun Runner (2013) | Candy Ride (ARG) (1999) | Ride the Rails (1991) | Cryptoclearance (1984) |
---|---|---|---|
Herbalesian (1969) | |||
Candy Girl (ARG) (1990 | Candy Stripes (1982) | ||
City Girl (ARG) (1982) | |||
Quiet Giant (2007) | Giant's Causeway (1997) | Storm Cat (1983) | |
Mariah's Storm (1991) | |||
Quiet Dance (1993) | Quiet American (1986) | ||
Misty Dancer (1988) | |||
Dam Awesome Flower (2009) | Flower Alley (2002) | Distorted Humor (1993) | Forty Niner (1985) |
Danzig's Beauty (1987) | |||
Princess Olivia (1995) | Lycius (1988) | ||
Dance Image (IRE) (1990) | |||
Formalities Aside (2002) | Awesome Again (Canada) (1994) | Deputy Minister (Canada) (1979) | |
Primal Force (1987) | |||
Well Dressed (1997) | Notebook (1985) | ||
Trithenia (1992)(family 8h) [23] |
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2,000 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October or early November. All of the races to date have been held in the United States except for the 1996 edition held at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada.
Bluegrass Cat is an American thoroughbred race horse. Although he won several major stakes races, he is best known for finishing second in both the 2006 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
Point Given was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2001 American Horse of the Year. That year, he won the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Haskell Invitational, and Travers Stakes, becoming the first horse ever to win four $1 million races in a row. The only time he finished out of the money was in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, where he ran fifth. Point Given was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2010.
Ruler on Ice is a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2011 Belmont Stakes. He was bred and foaled in Kentucky by Brandywine Farm in partnership with Liberation Farm on. He is a chestnut gelding sired by Hill 'n' Dale Farms' Roman Ruler out of the Saratoga Six-bred mare, Champagne Glow. The colt was consigned as lot 988 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling auction, where he was purchased by George and Lori Hall for $100,000. Ruler on Ice only won one minor race after winning the Belmont and was retired from racing in July 2014. He lives in Versailles, Kentucky at the farm of his owners.
Good Magic is a retired Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. He became the first horse to ever break his maiden in the Breeders' Cup when he won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. As a three-year-old, he won the Blue Grass Stakes and Haskell Invitational, and finished second to Justify in the 2018 Kentucky Derby.
Into Mischief is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. During his racing career, he won three of six starts including the CashCall Futurity. Since his retirement, he has developed into an outstanding sire, leading the North American sire list in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. His offspring include Authentic, Mandaloun, Life Is Good and Covfefe.
Authentic is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic, where he set a new Keeneland track record. He also won the Sham Stakes, San Felipe Stakes, and Haskell Invitational, and was second in the Preakness Stakes and Santa Anita Derby. He was the Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Male in 2020 and was the second highest ranked racehorse in the world. He also won the Secretariat Vox Populi Award.
Essential Quality is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes, and the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was named the 2020 Champion Two-Year-Old and the 2021 Champion Three-Year-Old.
Hot Rod Charlie is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Pennsylvania Derby and Louisiana Derby. He also came second in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and 2021 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and fourth in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was voted the winner of the 2021 Secretariat Vox Populi Award.
Mandaloun is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who was awarded 1st place in the 2021 Kentucky Derby after the disqualification of the original winner Medina Spirit. He followed this with wins in both the Pegasus Stakes and Haskell Stakes. He also won the 2021 Risen Star Stakes, and the 2022 Louisiana Stakes.
Midnight Bourbon was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Lecomte Stakes and came second in the 2021 Preakness Stakes and Travers Stakes and 2022 Saudi Cup.
Secret Oath is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2022 Kentucky Oaks. She also won the Martha Washington Stakes and Honeybee Stakes and finished third against males in the Arkansas Derby.
Rich Strike is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2022 Kentucky Derby, racing at 80:1 odds.
Early Voting is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2022 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Withers Stakes and was second in the Wood Memorial.
Epicenter is a retired Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2022 he won the Risen Star, Louisiana Derby, Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes. He also finished second as the favorite in both the 2022 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
Taiba is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who has won multiple Grade I events as a three-year-old in 2022 including the Santa Anita Derby and Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park and Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.
Forte is a retired champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he won the Grade I Hopeful Stakes, Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to being named champion juvenile of 2022. At the age of three, he won the Florida Derby and Jim Dandy Stakes.
Tapit Trice is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and Grade III Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs in 2023 as a three-year-old.
Geaux Rocket Ride was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2023 as a three-year-old.
White Abarrio is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2022 he won the Florida Derby and competed against the best three-year-olds in the US. In 2023, as a four-year old, he won the Grade I Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.