Slow Down Andy held off a late challenge from Bye Bye Bobby to win the G3 Sunland Park Derby by a determined half-length on Sunday, 27 March.
The three-year-old colt became the second Stakes winner on the card sire Nyquist, joining full brother Team Merchants, who took the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes earlier in the day.
Equipped with blinkers for the first time, Slow Down Andy broke alertly and went straight to the lead, where he was quickly joined by Straight Up G. That pair battled through swift early fractions through the opening half-mile. Slow Down Andy began to edge away from that rival on the far turn, despite drifting five-wide into the stretch.
Slow Down Andy then faced a new challenge from Bye Bye Bobby, who was closing like a freight train on the far outside. Bye Bye Bobby briefly got his head in front, but Slow Down Andy re-rallied to take the lead, eventually holding off Bye Bye Bobby to win by a half-length.
Slow Down Andy was bred in Kentucky by his owner, Reddam Racing LLC. He is a full-brother to Team Merchants, winner of both the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes and Let It Ride Stakes. Both colts are out of the mare, Edwina E (by Square Eddie), a full sister to the multiple Stakes-placed pair of Electric Eddie and Rinse and Repeat.
The leading first crop sire of 2020, Nyquist is off to a hot start in 2022. In addition to Team Merchants and Slow Down Andy, the stallion is represented by Scalding, recent winner of the G3 Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay; Turnerloose, winner of the G2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes and Awake At Midnyte, third-place finisher in the G2 Rachel Alexandra and second in the G2 Santa Ynez Stakes.
Nyquist is standing the 2022 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $55,000, stands and nurses.
