HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Cyberknife won the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday in the richest prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
Ridden by Florent Geroux, who got dumped in the post parade, Cyberknife ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.42. The 3-year-old colt earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. He paid $13.60, $7 and $3.60.
Cyberknife sat off the pace before taking the lead in the stretch for trainer Brad Cox, who also won the Oaklawn Mile with Fulsome.
“Great effort with some high hopes for him. We always thought he was very talented,” Geroux said. “Looks like he finally put it together and he’s probably not even 100% as he was zig-zagging down the lane.”
Cyberknife, a son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, has three wins in six career starts and earnings of $860,000.
Barber Road returned $7.40 and $4 and earned 40 qualifying points.
Secret Oath, the filly trained by 86-year-old Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, paid $2.80 to show as the 7-5 wagering favorite. She earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, although she may run in the Derby-eve Kentucky Oaks, where she’s already qualified.
“We got outrun,” Lukas said. “The race didn’t unfold like you’d hope it to. It just didn’t come together. We got bumped at the start and that got her back too far and then she made that monster move (on the second turn). It’s hard to sustain it.”
Doppelganger finished fourth and earned 10 qualifying points. The colt had been with Hall of Famer Bob Baffert before being transferred to Tim Yakteen. Baffert’s 90-day suspension begins Monday. He has been sanctioned stemming from the disqualification of Medina Spirit, who finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.