Sunland Park horse Bye Bye Bobby still in hunt for spot in Kentucky Derby
Bye Bye Bobby had a great run at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino this year.
He ran second in the Riley Allison Derby, Mine That Bird Derby and the Sunland Derby.
In every race, the 3-year-old son of Quality Road, improved and in the Sunland Derby he even led briefly late in the race before finishing second to Slow Down Andy.
With his second-place finish in the Sunland Derby, he earned 20 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby, which is run on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Those 20 points currently leave Bye Bye Bobby in 16th place for the 20-horse field in the Kentucky Derby.
But with more prep races still on the agenda leading up to the Kentucky Derby, he will most likely fall out of the top 20.
The horse wasn't Triple Crown nominated. However, with the late nomination period ending this past Monday, owner B4 Farms LLC made the horse eligible at a cost of $6,000.
Trainer Todd Fincher said he will point Bye Bye Bobby to the Grade III, $400,000, Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Racetrack in Kentucky on April 16 with hopes of qualifying for the Kentucky Derby. The race will be contested at 1 1/16th miles.
"The Lexington Stakes is worth 20 points to the winner and I think we can get into the Kentucky Derby with another 20 points," Fincher said. "But if the Kentucky Derby doesn't happen, the Preakness Stakes is an option."
The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown, followed by the Belmont Stakes.
"Bye Bye Bobby keeps improving and I was happy with his performance in the Sunland Derby," Fincher said. "He's done a great job at Sunland and I believe he'll keep improving."
More: Bye Bye Bobby second in Sunland Derby
Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Sunland Park horse Bye Bye Bobby still in hunt for Kentucky Derby
