Michael Hilary and Negar Burke UAE Derby sponsored by Runner-up Mubadala (G2) Summer is tomorrow was among seven 3-year-olds eligible to compete in the Triple Crown in 2022 with a late payment of $6,000 for the nomination due March 28.
2-3-0 in seven starts, the summer Is Tomorrow-trained Bhupat Seemar took the lead early in the UAE Derby and took the lead for most of the 1 3/4 16-mile race before being overtaken by Teruya Yoshida’s Crown Pride at the last eighth of the mile. The second, an early Triple Crown contender, is being headed towards the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
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Both horses appear to have enough points to qualify for entry if Derby registers beyond its 20-horse maximum pitch size.
With seven nominations in the late nomination period from January 30 to March 28 (pending late mailing), there are now 321 horses eligible to compete in Triple Crown’s series of three races.
Triple Crown opens May 7 with the 148th lap of the $3 million Kentucky Derby, run at 1 1/4 mile at Churchill Downs. The 147th run of the $1.25 million Preakness Stakes (G1), its second 1/3/16 mile gem, is set for May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. The 154th run of the $1.25 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1), the last mile at the mile and a half, is June 11 at Belmont Park.
The other belated Triple Crown nominees are Vladimir Kazakov’s UAE Two Thousand Guineas Winner presented by the Innovation Race (G3) Azure Coast ; B4 Farms ‘Sunland Park Derby (G3) runner-up Bye Bye Bobby ; Third place of OGMA Investments and Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) by Jack Towell Jr. O captain ; JR Sanchez Racing Stable’s Stakes Private Term Winner Shake You Loosely ; Daniel Alonso’s Recent Benefit Option Claim Winner Skippylongstocking ; and Boat Racing, Fritz Brothers Racing, and Bill Strauss First Winner Win the day .
Bye Bye Bobby coached by Todd Fincher gave Andy a fright in the Sunland Park Derby, going from a lurking position to narrowly taking the lead. He drifted down the lane, finishing half as slow as Slow Down Andy but 8 1/2 lengths behind the third-place finisher. Bye Bye Bobby won 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.
Bye Bye Bobby overcomes rivals on the way to winning the Zia Park Juvenile Stakes championship in 2021 at Zia Park
He will aim to earn more Derby points in the upcoming game at the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) on April 16 at Keeneland, Fincher told Daily Racing Form. Lexington is the final race in the Road to Kentucky Derby series, providing scores on a 20-8-4-2 scale for the top four finishers.
Any horse not nominated in the first or last stages may become an eligible Triple Crown through an additional nomination payment due at the time of entry for each Triple Crown race: Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($150,000) and Belmont ($50,000).
