Cyberknife set to rebound from Kentucky Derby effort in Matt Winn

Even as the Triple Crown was to come to a close with Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, there are still plenty of major prizes on the horizon for 3-year-olds. Summer targets such as the Haskell Invitational and Travers Stakes loom large, and farther down the road, the Breeders’ Cup. This second season in Kentucky gets under way in Sunday’s Grade 3, $225,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs.

One of the favorites in this renewal is Cyberknife, from the record-setting first crop of Gun Runner. The Arkansas Derby winner, Cyberknife is looking to rebound after finishing 18th in the Kentucky Derby. He is one of two Grade 1 winners in this field along with Rattle N Roll.

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Cyberknife utilized a strong middle move in the Arkansas Derby under Florent Geroux – who has the call again Sunday – and carried on to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Barber Road, the Derby’s sixth-place finisher who was to run in the Belmont, and Secret Oath, who went on to win the Kentucky Oaks and finish fourth in the Preakness. The effort earned Cyberknife a Beyer Speed Figure of 92, the best in this field.

Cyberknife and Geroux were fifth, and 2 1/2 lengths back, through the fastest opening quarter-mile in Kentucky Derby history, 21.78 seconds. They were still sixth after a half in 45.36, but Cyberknife folded badly late.

“In the Derby, the pace was very fast, and something he may never have to experience again,” Geroux said. “I think the Matt Winn is a good spot for him to get some of his confidence back. He’s been doing well out of the Derby and should have a better pace setup in this race than he had to deal with in the Derby.”

Cyberknife has worked three times since the Derby, the second of those being a sharp four furlongs in 47.60 on May 29 at Churchill that wound up the fifth-fastest of 106 works at the distance. He turned in another five furlongs in 1:01 on June 5.

Howling Time and Rattle N Roll finished one-two in an allowance race going 1 1/16 miles over a sloppy track on May 21 at Churchill. Howling Time led wire to wire, drawing off by five lengths under regular rider Joe Talamo, who rides again Sunday. Howling Time earned a career-best 90 Beyer in the allowance and was briefly under consideration for the Belmont Stakes.

Howling Time won the Street Sense last fall at Churchill, where he has won 3 of 4 outings, but finished far back in three graded stakes outings. He looks like the lone speed here.

Rattle N Roll won a maiden race at Churchill last September before winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. He was unplaced in three Derby points races this year, and just missed making the field as the second also-eligible behind Rich Strike, who drew in for his victory. A late closer, Rattle N Roll fired a bullet four-furlong work on June 4 at Churchill.

Completing the Matt Winn field are Droppin G’s, third in that May 21 allowance; last-out allowance winners Camp David and Tough to Tame; and Trafalgar.

The Matt Winn shares the card with the $160,000 Leslie’s Lady overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs. Pretty Birdie and Wicked Halo, the likely favorites, were second and third in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on the Kentucky Oaks undercard to Matareya. Matareya was to go in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on Saturday at Belmont against champion Echo Zulu, a litmus test that could provide a window into this race.

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Pretty Birdie will be setting the pace from the outside post in this field of five. The filly won the Grade 3 Schuylerville last year and the Purple Martin at Oaklawn this year, and led early in the Eight Belles. Trainer Norm Casse feels the filly will continue to develop off that, her first outing at this seven-furlong distance.

“Now we got that under our belt, she knows to navigate that trip a little bit differently,” Casse said.

Wicked Halo used front-running tactics to win the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga last summer, but has not flashed the same speed in three starts this year. Third in the Purple Martin behind Pretty Birdie, she was eighth after the opening quarter of the Eight Belles and came on to be third.