Travers candidate Cyberknife works for first time since Haskell win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Cyberknife, among the leaders of the 3-year-old division with two Grade 1 stakes victories, returned to the work tab Saturday morning, breezing a half-mile in 49.96 seconds over the Saratoga main track as he prepares for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes here on Aug. 27.

“Nice, easy half-mile, came out if it in good order, looked good, scoped good, happy with what we saw,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We’ll do more next week.”

Flavien Prat was aboard for the work, though Florent Geroux will ride Cyberknife in the Travers.

It was the first work since Cyberknife won the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational by a head over Taiba at Monmouth Park on July 17. Earlier in the year, Cyberknife won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby making him the only 3-year-old to have two Grade 1 stakes wins on his resume.

:: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.

Cyberknife shipped to Saratoga the morning after the Haskell and Cox said he’s happy with what he’s seen from the son of Gun Runner.

“I felt like he bounced out of it really well, he’s had a lot of energy in his gallops, he looks good and he’s wanting to do it and he settled in really well,” Cox said. “Everything’s been really positive since the Haskell.”

Cox said Cyberknife will have two more works before the Travers.

:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Also returning to the wortab Saturday was Jack Christopher, who suffered his first loss when he finished third to Cyberknife in the Haskell. Jack Christopher went a half-mile in 50.20 seconds over the main track. He is pointing to the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens, a seven-furlong race on the Travers Day undercard.