Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was able to breathe a sigh of relief after his highly regarded colt Cairo Prince filed the last place on the qualifying list for the Kentucky Derby after the final two major preps races were run last weekend.

"I feel great about it. They let 20 run, and it doesn't matter if you're first or 20th," he said while looking forward to the May 3 Derby.

"I feel really good right now that we're 20th."

The trainer had some uneasy moments after Cairo Prince turned in a disappointing fourth in the Florida Derby on March 29, not knowing if the son of Pioneerof the Nile would have enough qualifying points to compete at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Cairo Prince had previously captured the Holy Bull in January by 5 1/2 lengths, establishing himself as the top-rated 3-year-old on the East Coast.

After McLaughlin decided to bypass the Fountain of Youth Cairo Prince's status for the first Saturday in May was put in jeopardy by his dull showing in the Florida Derby.

"Maybe it was the layoff. I'll take the responsibility that maybe he needed to run," McLaughlin said.

"He got caught wide. But it doesn't really matter now."

Now able to concentrate on the Triple Crown, McLaughlin is happy with his original plan for Cairo Prince.

"Now we have a chance to win the Kentucky Derby, not just run in it," McLaughlin said.

Cairo Prince has won three of five starts and banked $562,000.

He breezed a half-mile on Sunday in company with stablemate Summer Cove in 48.60, the second fastest of 17 recorded at the distance.

"He worked great," McLaughlin said. "We'll do the same thing next Sunday, but we'll go five (furlongs) and gallop out three quarters.

"He'll ship out on the 22nd and have one work at Churchill."