Derby Hopefuls Cyberknife, Tiz The Bomb, Crown Pride Tune Up At Churchill

With three weeks remaining until the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1), the trio of Crown Pride (six furlongs, 1:18.60), Cyberknife (five furlongs, 1:00), and Tiz the Bomb (four furlongs, :48.40) worked toward their next start in the Run for the Roses on Saturday, May 7.

Gold Square's Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Cyberknife worked at 9 a.m. (ET) outside of multiple stakes-placed stablemate Tommy Bee. Cyberknife started two lengths behind Tommy Bee and completed fractions of :12.20, :23.80, and :47.20. Cyberknife finished even with Tommy Bee around the seven eighths pole and easily galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.40.

“I thought he looked great,” said trainer Brad Cox, who watched the breeze from the Millionaires Row balcony. “He's done well at Churchill in the past and really likes it here.”

About 90 minutes earlier, Magdalena Lessee's Tiz the Bomb, who won the  Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) April 2, worked with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. in the irons. The duo clipped an opening quarter-mile in :24.20 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20.

Moments later, exercise rider Masa Matsuda breezed Teruya Yoshida's UAE Derby (GII) winner Crown Pride six furlongs from the half-mile pole. The duo easily completed opening fractions of :14.60, :28.20, :54, and 1:06.20. Japan-bred Crown Pride steadily picked up his work around the turn and onto the backside before completing his move through seven furlongs in 1:32.40.

Churchill Downs received about 0.2 inches of rain overnight, according to the National Weather Service. The track was sealed for the first two hours of training but dried out by the 7:30 a.m. track renovation break and was harrowed. It was labeled as “good” for the final 2 ½ hours of training.

In other Kentucky Derby news, Arkansas Derby runner-up Barber Road arrived at Churchill Downs early Saturday morning and is stabled in Barn 46 with trainer John Ortiz. He's scheduled to work twice prior to the Kentucky Derby.

Curlin Florida Derby (GI) runner-up Charge It was scheduled to ship from his South Florida base to Churchill Downs on Saturday. He and the rest of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's contingent will be based in Barn 35. Pletcher is planning to keep a full-time barn at Churchill Downs throughout the spring and summer.

Likely Kentucky Derby favorite Epicenter is scheduled to breeze early Sunday at Churchill Downs.

In other Kentucky Derby news, Sunland Park Derby (G3) winner Slow Down Andy has developed a fever and will miss the Kentucky Derby, trainer Doug O'Neill told Horse Racing Nation.

The California-bred Nyquist colt was set to have his first timed workout this weekend at Keeneland since winning the Sunland Park Derby March 27.

Reddam Racing's homebred Slow Down Andy, who also won the the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) December 11, defeating Kentucky Derby hopeful Messier, ranked 11th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 60 qualifying points. With his defection, Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Charge It and Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) runner-up Tawny Port are now securely in the Derby field with 40 points each.