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.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - After missing a scheduled work on Sunday due to a minor setback earlier in the week, White Abarrio got in his final work for Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby on Tuesday morning at Gulfstream Park, an easy three furlongs in 34.89 over a very fast track shortly after the second renovation break.

White Abarrio, who has not started since his impressive 4 1/2-length victory over Simplication in the Grade 3 Holy Bull on Feb. 5, galloped out with plenty of energy after completing his drill, going a half-mile in 47.12 before easing up five panels in 1:00.85.

Grade 3, $500,000 Sunland Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Sunland Park, March 27, 2022
(50 Derby qualifying points for first, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)

Winner: Slow Down Andy, by Nyquist
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
Owner: Reddam Racing
Beyer Speed Figure: 86

Grade 2, $1 million United Arab Emirates Derby, about 1 3/16 miles, Meydan, March 26, 2022
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Crown Pride, by Reach the Crown
Trainer: Koichi Shintani
Jockey: Damian Lane
Owner: Teruya Yoshida
Beyer Speed Figure: N/A

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The $1 million Florida Derby got a little more interesting over the weekend when trainer Brian Lynch confirmed he will redirect Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway to the Grade 1 fixture on Saturday rather than await the Blue Grass at Keeneland the following week as originally planned.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mark Casse doesn’t know what went wrong for Pappacap in last month’s Grade 2 Risen Star where the Grade 1 stakes-placed horse finished eighth, 14 1/4 lengths behind Epicenter. What Casse does know is to do what most trainers do in such instances when there’s no evident excuse – draw a line through the race and try again.

Thus, Casse will return Pappacap to the site of his first victory – Gulfstream Park – and run him in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby, a last-ditch effort to make the Kentucky Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Like death and taxes, one of the certainties of our existence is that on the Monday preceding a Saturday stakes race, Steve Asmussen will work his horses an easy half-mile in something like 51 and change for their final tune-up. So on Monday morning, just after the renovation break at Oaklawn, his colt Chasing Time hit right on cue, a half-mile in 51.20 seconds under the supervision of assistant Darren Fleming while readying for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby.

There are two Grade 1 prep races for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday: the Florida Derby and the Arkansas Derby. Classic Causeway is expected to start in Florida, but the colt has ties to the Arkansas-bred program close up in his pedigree.

Classic Causeway, from the final crop of Giant’s Causeway, is out of Private World, whose dam is the Arkansas-bred mare Rita Rucker.

Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, 1 3/16 miles, Fair Grounds, March 26, 2022
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Epicenter, by Not This Time
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 102

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Trainer Brian Lynch said that he wanted to sleep on the decision one more night but in all likelihood plans to call an audible that would re-direct Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway to the $1 million Florida Derby next Saturday at Gulfstream Park rather than to the Blue Grass at Keeneland the following week as originally intended.