Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:01 flat in company with Roman Centurion Saturday morning at Fair Grounds in preparation for next Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
The Brad Cox-trained 4-year-old Cyberknife galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40 under jockey Florent Geroux.
The 1:01 clocking was third-fastest of 41 half-mile works at the track, with the 5-year-old stakes-placed Roman Centurion clocked in 1:01.20.
“It was a good work,” Geroux said by phone. “He's always been a good work horse. So for him, it was just a maintenance work and keeping him busy and fit. He's had plenty of time to get ready and now we're a week from the race.”
Cyberknife comes into the Pegasus off a second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), in which he had held a narrow lead the last half of the race but couldn't quite hold off Cody's Wish. That defeat by a head cost Cyberknife a third Grade 1 victory after taking Oaklawn Park's Arkansas Derby and Monmouth Park's Haskell.
Geroux has ridden Cyberknife for the past 10 of his 12 career races. The jockey concurs with Cox that Cyberknife is working better than ever for his last race before going to stud at Spendthrift Farm.
“The horse is definitely maturing now,” Geroux said. “He's stronger physically. I think he put on some weight. He's developing very nicely and made another step forward over the winter, physically and mentally. So we're hoping he's better than he was last year.”
Cyberknife certainly has come a long way from when he finished first in his debut on Sept. 25, 2021 at Churchill Downs but ran greenly and was disqualified to second for interference. Exactly a year ago off a maiden victory on his third attempt, he was drubbed in the Fair Grounds' Lecomte (G3) but regrouped to win an allowance race and then the Arkansas Derby. His only race worse than third since needs no apology: It was the cavalry charge known as the Kentucky Derby (G1), in which he was 18th.
“He would zig zag, lose a little bit of focus,” Geroux said of Cyberknife last spring. “He's been better since. He was perfect in the Breeders' Cup and just got beat by a very nice horse. But it looks like he's doing much better now—hopefully, I'm not speaking too soon.
“It was a tough beat (in the Breeders' Cup). We wanted to finish up the year strong, and we thought it was a good spot,” Geroux added. “We had a great trip, just couldn't hold off the winner, who is a terrific miler. I think the mile and an eighth is more to his liking.”
In other Pegasus World Cup workouts, Defunded, Get Her Number, and Stilleto Boy got in their final tune-ups in California Saturday morning.
Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Defunded, an impressive winner of the Awesome Again (G1) and Native Diver (G2) in his two most recent starts, breezed five furlongs in :59.40 at Santa Anita. Trainer Bob Baffert saddled Arrogate (2017) and Mucho Gusto (2020) for victories in the Pegasus World Cup.
Gary Barber's Get Her Number, a close second-place finisher behind Mind Control in the Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct last time out, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 for trainer Peter Miller at San Luis Rey Training Center.
Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy worked five furlongs in 1:04.60, handily, at Golden Gate Fields. The Ed Moger Jr.-trained son of Shackleford finished third in last year's Pegasus World Cup.
In Arkansas: Willis Horton Racing LLC's Last Samurai turned in a bullet workout at Oaklawn Park, where Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas' trainee breezed five furlongs in :59.40.
In Florida, Skippylongstocking and Simplification breezed Saturday morning for scheduled starts in the race.
Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking worked a half mile in :50.45 at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach Count. The 4-year-old son of Exaggerator, who is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., is coming off a victory in the Dec. 31 Harlan's Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Tami Bobo's Simplification, who captured the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream last season, breezed a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.22 at Gulfstream Saturday morning. The Antonio Sano trainee's clocking was the second fastest of 44 workouts recorded at the distance.
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