Finnick the Fierce training to Kentucky Derby — but will he get in?

Trainer Rey Hernandez said Finnick the Fierce will train up to the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby after bypassing Sunday's Ellis Park Derby, the penultimate stop on the road to the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

However, at No. 20 on the Derby points leaderboard, he'll likely need a defection to get in.

"If we make it, that's fine, or we'll find something else the same day as the Derby," said Hernandez, who co-owns the colt with Arnaldo Monge.

Hernandez said the gelded son of Dialed In, who had his right eye removed because of a congenital cataract, is doing well.

"I've been running him a lot this year and shipping him around too much," he said. "I'm going to kind of set pacing a little bit with him."

Finnick the Fierce has 25 points on the leaderboard, earned through a busy campaign that includes a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G1), fourth-place effort in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and second place in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G3) last November.

In his most recent outing, Finnick the Fierce finished seventh in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11.

Hernandez chalked the Blue Grass result up to the race having "lots of really good horses. Sometimes that happens, you know?

"He kind of broke bad, he was slow at the gate," Hernandez said. "I think he lost a lot of ground. He got really wide in the second turn.

"With 3-year-olds, some days they're improving and some days they throw you a screwy one," Hernandez added.