HORSE RACING

Cyberknife Is Coming Into His Own Just in Time for the Kentucky Derby

Jay Ginsbach  —  @FairwayJay May 4th, 2022
The 2022 Kentucky Derby is May 7th, and 20 of the top 3-year-olds will Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. Which horses should you bet on at TVG?

The 2022 Kentucky Derby is on May 7th with post time at 6:57 p.m. ET. Using TVG projections and Horse Racing Nation as a guide, here are the horse profiles for America’s biggest and most popular race.

New players, get your first win-type wager on a single horse in any race at any track risk-free up to $200 with TVG: Bet the Derby!

As always, check the program for racing information after the post position draw on May 2nd, and monitor the weather and track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure and BRIS and Beyer speed figures, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.)

#16 Cyberknife

Morning Line Odds: 20/1
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Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by jockey Florent Geroux, Cyberknife was installed at 20/1 on the morning line odds breaking from post No. 16. Cyberknife has won 3-of-6 starts and posted his best Equibase Speed Figure of 100 in an Allowance race win in February.

Cyberknfe then secured his spot in the Derby with a daylight win in the Arkansas Derby ahead of Barber Road. But prep races held at Oaklawn Park were among the weakest this year, and Cyberknife has enjoyed softer pace setups in his last two races. When he was tracking a swift pace in his other stakes start in January, Cyberknfe made a nice middle move but then tired badly down the lane, finishing well behind Epicenter.

Cyberknife is a son of Gun Runner, just like the more talented Derby runner, Taiba. He is working well leading up to the Derby, but the pace and quality of the more highly rated contenders in the Run for the Roses will make it a tougher challenge to finish among the top five to provide a payoff.

Cyberknife also fails to meet some key trends and respected metrics when determining a contender or winner of the Kentucky Derby. His best Beyer Speed Figure is 92, and his best BRIS Speed Rating is 94.

History shows that 27 of the last 30 Kentucky Derby winners have entered the race with a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of at least 95. Also, 18 of the past 22 Kentucky Derby winners had a BRIS Speed Rating of at least 100 prior to the race.