It was supposed to be a showdown between Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba and undefeated New York-based Jack Christopher. But in the end, it was Cyberknife, who got a great inside trip under jockey Florent Geroux, that beat Taiba by a head in the $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.
Cyberknife’s win did little to clarify who is the best 3-year-old in the country because most significant Triple Crown races, both before and after, have been won by different horses. Cyberknife did win the Arkansas Derby but finished 18th in the Kentucky Derby.
Longshot Benevengo went to the lead early, with Jack Christopher and Taiba in good stalking positions. Midway into the far turn and at the top of the stretch Benevengo started to slow and it appeared as if was Jack Christopher’s race to win, but there was the question if the colt — who had never run beyond a mile — could handle the 1 1/8-mile race. He couldn’t.
