Enter Sandman: Colt Wins Arkansas Derby, KY Derby Bound

For at least a little while, there is a new leader atop the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 129 qualifying points ahead of the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1): Sandman .

Rallying from behind a blistering pace set by Speed King and Cornucopian , the talented 3-year-old colt outkicked fellow closer Publisher to capture the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 29 at Oaklawn Park.

Stewards briefly reviewed an erratic stretch run from Sandman, who drifted out under urging, before making no change to the order of finish. Sandman completed 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:50.08, paying $9.40 to win.

Coal Battle finished third, followed by favored Cornucopian in fourth and longshot Brereton’s Baytown in fifth.

The Arkansas Derby awarded Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to its top five finishers. Sandman, who already had 29 points, now leads all other 3-year-olds on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, though he too could be passed by others in competition next week.

No matter: Sandman is Kentucky Derby-bound, safely in the prestigious first leg of the Triple Crown under the points system that Churchill Downs officials use as a preference system when the Derby draws beyond its 20-horse maximum field size.

Jose Ortiz rode the winner and expressed his excitement to be reunited with him in the Derby.

“When he entered the stretch, he exploded,” Ortiz said of Sandman in the Arkansas Derby.

For a colt that did have much luck in two earlier stakes starts at Oaklawn Park earlier this year—he had a disastrous start when runner-up in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and left with too much to do in making a belated rally for third in the Rebel Stakes (G2)—the Arkansas Derby fell neatly into place for him.

When front-running Speed King hooked up with the stretching-out second-time starter Cornucopian, the table was set for an off-the-pace runner to prevail. Splits of :22.46, :45.21 and 1:10.37 in the race left them fatigued and unable to repel the top three finishers.

Coal Battle, who had beaten Sandman in Rebel, was first to pounce, taking over approaching the stretch, the diminutive, fast-accelerating colt could keep up with the longer-striding Sandman and fellow closer Publisher in the lane.

Sandman is a gray and/or roan by Tapit out of the Distorted Humor mare Distorted Music owned by D. J. Stables, St Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables. Hall of Famer Mark Casse trains him.

His owners purchased him for $1.2 million from the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where Tom McCrocklin consigned him as part of a complete dispersal for his breeder, Lothenbach Stables. Bob Lothenbach of Lothenbach Stables died in November 2023 at age 64.

Four of the dam’s five foals of racing age have raced, with three victorious. Sandman became his dam’s second graded stakes winner following She Can’t Sing, who captured the Chilukki Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in 2022. The unraced foal is a 2-year-old Into Mischief colt.

The Arkansas Derby, the richest domestic Kentucky Derby prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, has produced eight Kentucky Derby winners, including last year’s Derby winner, Mystik Dan . Mystik Dan ran third in the Arkansas Derby.

Three horses have won both races: Sunny’s Halo (1983), Smarty Jones (2004), and Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh (2015).