Monmouth Park

TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

THE three-year-old crop in the US has not really recovered from Rich Strike’s shock Kentucky Derby success back in May.

Since then, the Preakness went to Early Voting and the Belmont Stakes to Mo Donegal, with neither taking command of the division. Another horse well beaten in the Derby stepped up to the top podium when Cyberknife, only 18th at Churchill Downs, beat Taiba, 12th then, to win the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational in convincing style at Monmouth, despite it being a narrow win.

The Gun Runner colt – the sire was also responsible for the second – moved up strongly along the rail in the stretch to win the big mid-season three-year-old contest by a head in a track-record time of 1m 46.24 for nine furlongs, over Taiba who was back under Bob Baffert’s care.

The winner got his name from a non-invasive treatment that helped owner Al Gold’s treatment of prostate cancer.

“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,” the winning owner said afterwards.

Cyberknife was bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and he had won the Arkansas Derby to give Gold a first Grade 1 win as an owner before being a victim of the fast early pace in the Kentucky Derby.

Prospects

The Haskell had revolved around the prospects of the exciting unbeaten colt staying this distance

Hard held after a half-mile in 46.96, Jack Christopher was second by a length behind outsider Benevengo over a fast racetrack that saw a 37-year-old track record shattered earlier on the card.

After six furlongs in 1m 09.93secs, Jack Christopher and Jose Ortiz made their move before the turn.

But Cyberknife and Taiba were revving up, with Cyberknife finding room on the rail as Mike Smith switched Taiba out around Jack Christopher.

Cyberknife challenged Jack Christopher from the inside and Taiba from the outside in midstretch and the favourite had no more in the final furlong.

For a few strides it looked like Taiba had the momentum but in the final yards Cyberknife proved the stronger under Florent Geroux who said: “I had a lot of horse underneath me. He has a turn of foot like a turf horse on dirt.”

Mike Smith was pleased with Taiba’s effort on just his fourth start. “He’s still learning,” he said. “I had him inside, and I couldn’t get him running down there for nothing, so I had to swing him outside, and then he ran a great race. I thought I was going to win.”

Taiba, whose target is the Breeders’ Cup, will have to move stables again if running at Saratoga as Baffert is suspended from racing at New York Racing Association tracks until January.

Jack Christopher looks likely to drop back to seven furlongs for the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga next month.

United Nations

Chad Brown had won three stakes races on the card and then took the second Grade 1 of the day in the United Nations Stakes (11 furlongs) when Adhamo (a son of Intello, bred by Wertheimer et Frere) got the better of stable companion Tribhuvan, reversing the form of the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont last month.

Flavien Prat took Adhamo back to midfield as last year’s winner Tribhuvan led comfortably.

As they turned for home, Prat swung Adhamo outside and went after Tribhuvan and longshot Epic Bromance, who was close to the pace all the way. Tribhuvan gave way and faded to fourth in the final furlong as Adhamo went on to win by a length and a half.

“We finally got this horse a Grade 1 win. He had been a little bit unlucky this year. He’s a work in progress, and we’re still trying to figure out what’s his best distance,” Brown said.