Last seen fighting out a tight finish in the GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S. in neighboring New Jersey in mid-July, 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) and Cyberknife (Gun Runner) are the top two choices on the morning line for what appears a contentious renewal of the $1-million GI betPARX Pennsylvania Derby Saturday afternoon in suburban Philadelphia.
A veteran of just four starts, Taiba–a $1.7-million purchase by Zedan Racing Stables out of last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale–took the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at second asking, but the GI Kentucky Derby was perhaps too much, too soon, as the chestnut could do no better than 12th. Freshened for the Haskell, he made what appeared to be a winning move down the center of the track, but the rail-rallying Cyberknife spoiled the party. Trainer Bob Baffert, who won this race three times between 2014 and 2018, says it's all systems go this weekend.
“He likes to be in the clear, so that is good. He doesn't like being on the inside,” Baffert said of Taiba, who drew the eight hole and is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line. “I would rather be the five or the six, but this will be OK. Cyberknife is a tough horse; they are all good horses in here. Million-dollar races are not easy; they are not supposed to be easy. As always, you have to break. We had a little bit of a rough trip in the last one [Haskell]. I know he is doing well and we are all set.”
Cyberknife pressed on to the GI Runhappy Travers S., finishing better than five lengths behind divisional leader Epicenter (Not This Time) and narrowly ahead of Zandon (Upstart). He is one of two in the race for Brad Cox, who will also tighten the girth around GIII Ohio Derby hero and GII Jim Dandy S. third Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile). The 3-1 morning-line second pick, Cyberknife has post five, while Tawny Port drew gate seven.
“We've pointed Tawny Port for this race since the Jim Dandy,” Cox said. “Everything is going great with him. Once again, he's got to step up to prove that he belongs at this level. With Cyberknife, it wasn't a whole lot of, coming out of the Travers and 'we're going to go to Parx' way of thinking. I thought we might go straight to the Breeders' Cup. He had a really good breeze last weekend. Time-wise it wasn't anything crazy fast, but it's how he's doing, how he looks, how he's acting. This is one last swing at a Grade I around two turns for straight 3-year-olds.”
The filly counterpart, the GI Cotillion S., drew a field of nine headed by GI Longines Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (Arrogate). The competition includes the progressive 'TDN Rising Star' stablemates Shahama (Munnings) and Green Up(Upstart) and the Baffert-trained GIII Las Virgenes S. romper Adare Manor (Uncle Mo).
The GI Runhappy Travers S. is one of the summer's most highly anticipated events and for the past several years it has been the centerpiece of a Super Saturday card at Saratoga that serves as a Breeders' Cup preview. The Travers is one of five star-studded Grade Is on the 14-race card, which also includes the GII Ballston Spa S. for turf fillies.
Intriguing storylines abound in this year's eight-horse renewal of the summer centerpiece for sophomore colts, which is topped by GII Jim Dandy S. winner Epicenter (Not This Time). The GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. runner-up looks to provide Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen with his first Travers and add another bullet point to his hot young sire's resume.
“I love the race that he ran over this racetrack. I like him at a mile and a quarter,” Asmussen said. “Nothing but respect for some extremely good 3-year-olds, but I think we have the right one.”
Chad Brown's best previous Travers finish was third with Miles D (Curlin) in last year's renewal. He saddles three this year in Preakness winner Early Voting (Gun Runner); GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner and Jim Dandy runner-up Zandon (Upstart); and impressive Curlin S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate).
“The only reason I'm in this profession is from coming to Saratoga with my family as a kid,” Brown said. “It doesn't get any bigger than that, to win the jewel of their meet and the history surrounding the race. Coming to the Travers with my parents when I was knee-high is the only reason I'm here in the first place.”
Artorius is the lightest-raced horse in the field, but his late sire had just two more starts under his belt, and none in stakes company, when he powered home to a record-setting 13 1/2-length victory in this event in 2016. The last Travers winner to sire a Travers winner was 2004 victor Birdstone, who is responsible for 2009 scorer Summer Bird.
“The horse brought himself here since we got him to his debut at Keeneland,” Brown said. “Moving forward, he's always worked right on schedule, and he's done everything that we've asked him to do. He's been stretching out nicely and his first two-turn race was impressive, his best race. I have a lot of optimism that horse will be able to carry another eighth of a mile.”
Brad Cox captured last year's Travers with champion Essential Quality (Tapit) and looks to take the elusive GI Haskell Inviational S./Travers double this year with Cyberknife (Gun Runner). His phenomenal young sire could only manage third behind Arrogate in the 2016 Travers, but proved 10 furlongs was well within his wheel house when taking the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
The feel-good story of the year could add another chapter Saturday as Kentucky Derby upsetter Rich Strike (Keen Ice) looks to rebound from a sixth-place finish in the GI Belmont S. Saturday at the Spa.
Jackie and Jack Headline Grade I Sprints
The first Grade I of the day should set the mood quite nicely as champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) looks to take his Saratoga record to six-for-six in the GI Forego S. The fleet-footed bay is four-for-four this year, including a sizzling last-out score in this venue's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. July 30.
“He's immortal,” Asmussen said. “He's the only racehorse ever to win a Grade I three years in a row at Saratoga. The only horse, ever, at Saratoga.”
None of the other six competitors even come close to being able to run with the Eclipse winner on paper, but GIII Westchester S. romper Cody's Wish (Curlin) appears best of the rest.
Just 117 minutes later sophomore sprinters get their turn, but once again it looks like a one-horse affair with the presence of 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings). The speedy chestnut suffered his first loss when attempting two turns for the first time last out in the Haskell. Undefeated around one turn, including a 10-length demolition of the GI Woody Stephens S., the chestnut will be just about impossible to catch at his best.
“I thought the horse ran great in the Haskell. He ran a fast three-quarters in 1:09 and change and he fought on nicely,” Brown said. “He just didn't have quite enough late, but I thought it was a really good race. The horse has never disappointed me in a race. I'm happy to cut him back on a track that I know he likes. I hope he gets a good, clean break.”
He is joined by GII Amsterdam S. one-two Gunite (Gun Runner), winner of the GI Hopeful S. last term, and the chalk's stablemate Accretive (Practical Joke).
Short, But Sweet Personal Ensign
Clairiere | Sarah Andrew
Four of the five runners from Belmont's June 11 GI Ogden Phipps S., including regular rivals Malathaat (Curlin) and Clairiere (Curlin) face off yet again in a five-horse renewal of the GI Personal Ensign S.
Clairiere has come out on top in her last two meetings with champion and GI Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat, edging her by a head in the Phipps and besting her in this venue's GII Shuvee S. July 24. Her dam Cavorting closed out her career with a decisive score in the 2016 Personal Ensign.
“She's racing royalty and she's in great form,” Asmussen said. “She's capable. It's within her and she continues to get better. I expect another huge race against great mares in the Personal Ensign. Letruska and Malathaat are as good as race mares can be.”
Champion Letruska (Super Saver) looks to defend her title in this event. While she was well beaten by her younger foes when folding her tent in the Shuvee, the bay did triumph over Clairiere earlier this season in the Apr. 23 GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn.
GIII Molly Pitcher S. winner and Phipps third Search Results (Flatter) and Shuvee third Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) round out the quintet.
BC Qualifiers Coast-to-Coast
Rounding out Saturday's Grade I action at Saratoga is the Sword Dancer S., a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf S. at Keeneland in November. When Aidan O'Brien ships one in, it's a horse worth paying attention to and he saddles Group 1 winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) here. Winning the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot June 18, he wheeled back just five days late to be fourth in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.
Gufo (Declaration of War) adds blinkers for this title defense and Chad Brown saddles three–Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}), Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Tribhuvan (Fr) (Toronado {Ire})–in search of his fourth win in this event.
The West Coast also plays host to a Breeders' Cup qualifier in the GII Pat O'Brien S., which grants the winner a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile starting gate. Bill Mott makes the journey to Del Mar with an imposing contender in GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), who hit the board behind the country's top two racehorses, Flightline (Tapit) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief), in his last two outings.
His biggest competition here comes from GI Bing Crosby S. and GII Triple Bend S. winner American Theorem (American Pharoah).
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Though an impressive win in the GI Haskell S. helped make Cyberknife (Gun Runner) the second choice on the morning line for Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S., trainer Brad Cox agreed with the question: Is your colt underappreciated?
“I think he is a little bit, given the fact he's won two Grade Is,” Cox said.
Very quickly, Cox made it clear that he was not quibbling that the linemaker for the 153rd Travers figured that Epicenter (Not This Time) would have the lowest odds by his name when the gates open. The estimate was that the GII Jim Dandy S. winner leaving from post six would go off at 7-5 in the field of eight.
“Obviously, the favorite is a very good horse,” Cox said. “He was second in the Kentucky Derby and I think that goes a long way. Then, the Kentucky Derby winner is 10-1.”
Cyberknife was listed at 7-2 after drawing the rail in the 1 1/4 miles Travers. Rich Strike (Keen Ice), who won the Derby at odds of 80-1, will be in the next gate. He was sixth in the GI Belmont S. June 11 in his most recent start. Rich Strike will be the 27th Derby winner to have a go in the Travers. Ten have won.
“The Kentucky Derby this year is a race, and I'm not taking anything away from the winner, but it's just a race that if it was run several more times, you would get several different results,” Cox said. “It was one of those Derbys that you see every 10 to 15 years when you don't think what can happen happens. That had a lot to do with the pace and I had two horses who were involved in that pace. If we rewind, we wouldn't go that quick. No one would have. It's just the way it happened and it worked out.”
Cyberknife, owned by Saratoga resident Al Gold's Gold Square LLC, ended up 18th in the Derby after starting in post 16 at 14-1 after staying close to the pace. Another Cox Derby horse, Zozos (Munnings), also paid the price for going too fast and was 10th. His third Derby runner, Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile), was able to close after sitting off the torrid early fractions and finished seventh.
“That's not a true read with them going that quick that early,” Cox said. “I don't think he will have any issue with the mile and a quarter, just based off the pedigree and how he has finished up in his races.”
That pedigree has Travers connections. Gun Runner was third in Arrogate's track-record Travers in 2016 and his dam sire, Flower Alley (Distorted Humor) won the race in 2005.
Cyberknife locked up his Derby berth with a 2 3/4-length win in the GI Arkansas Derby at 5-1. The run at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May was a disappointment, but Cyberknife prepped for the Haskell with a win by a nose at 1-2 in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill June 12. He picked up the second Grade I–the only runner in the Travers field to have a pair–with a big performance at Monmouth Park July 23. Months ago, Cox said that Cyberknife was a slow-maturing colt that might be better in the second half of the year. So far, that looks to be an astute assessment.
“He broke the track record and the stakes record in the Haskell,” Cox said. “We're looking forward to giving him an opportunity at a mile and a quarter. We know a lot more about him now than we did when we ran him a mile and a quarter in the Kentucky Derby. Hopefully, he won't be part of some type of suicidal pace. I don't think there'd be one anyway. We'll see how it goes. Overall, the horse is doing really well. He settled in here. He's been here for five weeks, I think he's set up for a huge effort.”
Cyberknife has worked three times over the main track at Saratoga, most recently five furlongs in 1:00 on Saturday.
Starting from the inside post in the Haskell under jockey Florent Geroux, Cyberknife sat a ground-saving, stalking trip. While Taiba (Gun Runner) was making an outside move toward the favorite Jack Christopher (Munnings) near the quarter pole, Cyberknife and Geroux were attacking from near the rail.
“I think probably the most impressive thing is when they turned for home, how Florent seemed to have a good bit of horse left,” Cox said. “It just showed how much talent he really has. He really cruised up there to the lead inside Jack Christopher and was able to dig in and really fight to get there and galloped out well. That was the most impressive.
“Another thing that was very impressive with him, which he did in the Arkansas Derby, he's able to sit inside of horses, and he didn't get too worked up and feel the pressure from other horses. He'll relax down there on the inside, which I think is a big asset.”
Being comfortable on the rail could prove to be a benefit in the Travers, which has had but two winners from post 1 in the last 40 years: Holy Bull (Great Above) in 1994 and Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) in 2016.
The last Haskell winner to double up in the Travers was Point Given (Thunder Gulch) in 2001. Since then, 12 Haskell winners have come up short in the Travers, most notably Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), who was second to Keen Ice (Curlin) in 2015.
Cox won the Travers last year with Essential Quality (Tapit). While he is confident that Cyberknife is ready for this test, he said he was mildly surprised that the colt was placed as high as he was on the morning line.
“Maybe a little bit,” he said. “I thought maybe Zandon (Upstart) would have been second choice. It didn't really matter. I thought that this guy who does the odds here in New York does it as well as anybody, so he's probably spot on. It doesn't really matter as long as we're the first choice after the race.”
One week out from the GI Runhappy Travers S., major contenders for the 3-year-old centerpiece were out in force at the Spa Saturday morning.
Gold Square's GI Arkansas Derby and GI TVG.com Haskell S. winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner) breezed five-eighths in 1:00 (6/17) over Saratoga's main track.
“Excellent move, galloped out great and cooled out good,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We're all set. He's doing about as well as he can do and we are excited about the race.”
Trainer Chad Brown breezed several Runhappy Travers Day hopefuls over the main track Saturday, led by GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner and GII Jim Dandy S. second-place finisher Zandon (Upstart), who covered five furlongs in 1:00.65 (7/17).
The GI Preakness S. hero and Jim Dandy fourth Early Voting (Gun Runner), piloted by Jose Ortiz, drilled five-eighths in 1:01 (11/17) in company with narrow GII Amsterdam S. runner-up Accretive (Practical Joke), who is targeting the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.
Travers-bound Curlin S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate), with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, went a half-mile in :47 (5/80) with GISW Search Results (Flatter), who is targeting the GI Personal Ensign S. on Runhappy Travers Day.
“I thought all of the Travers horses worked super,” Brown said. “The track was a lot faster after the break today and a lot faster than it has been for the whole meet. We'll see what role that plays in the preparation of horses in the afternoon. I know that's an observation that everyone is going to tell you who has been training on it.”
Brown added, “I'm very excited about it [Travers]. I feel very grateful. These horses are hard to come by. It's just the reality. To have three in here, I am hoping one of them can get it done.”
Brown also breezed MGISW and Haskell third 'Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) five-eighths in :59.80 (4/17) in company to the outside of state-bred allowance-winning 3-year-old colt Key Point (Into Mischief). He is targeting the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.
“Jack Christopher did that well within himself,” Brown said. “He's back to his old self after being a tick sluggish out of the Haskell. He has been working a little bit stronger and I was pleased with that.”
Iowa Derby winner Ain't Life Grand (Not This Time) breezed a bullet half-mile in :45.88 (1/80) Saturday over the Saratoga main track in preparation for the Runhappy Travers.
“I thought it was a very good work,” trainer Kelly Von Hemel said. “That track was playing a little bit faster today than what it has been so the time was a little quicker than we anticipated. But he did everything like we wanted and well within himself. He came back great and we're very happy with it.”
