Sunland Derby runner-up Bye Bye Bobby late nominee to Triple Crown, pointing to Lexington Stakes

The ownership of Bye Bye Bobby has made the Sunland Park Derby runner-up eligible to the Triple Crown, trainer Todd Fincher said Tuesday.

The late nomination period for the 3-year-old series closed on Monday. Fincher said B4 Farms LLC made the horse eligible at a cost of $6,000.

Bye Bye Bobby earned 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his second-place finish to Slow Down Andy in the Sunland Derby on Sunday. He was beaten a half-length.

Slow Down Andy and Bye Bye Bobby both earned 86 Beyer Speed Figures in the Sunland Derby.

Bye Bye Bobby also finished second at the Sunland meet in the Riley Allison Derby and Mine That Bird Derby.

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Fincher said Bye Bye Bobby is being pointed for Grade 3, $400,000 Lexington, a 1 1/16-mile race April 16 at Keeneland.

“It gives us more options, the possibility of getting to the Kentucky Derby,” Fincher said. “If not, we’d go to the Preakness at that point.”

Fincher said Bye Bye Bobby would ship to Keeneland with another runner from his stable on either Sunday or Monday.

B4 Farms purchased Bye Bye Bobby for $870,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2020. The son of Quality Road won his career debut in the Zia Park Juvenile last November.