Sandman, the late-running Arkansas Derby winner, has entered the Preakness fray, according to an X post from the Preakness Stakes account.

In the aftermath of the Kentucky Derby, in which he ran seventh, his connections indicated he would bypass the Middle Jewel and await the Belmont Stakes.

But it appears that with a field in flux – and absent Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty – the connex have called an audible.

Trained by Mark Casse for a partnership led by D. J. Stable LLC, Sandman has won three of nine starts while earning more than $1.2 million. He achieved his signature win to date when he rallied from far back under Jose Ortiz to win the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

In the Kentucky Derby, he was far back for most of the trip before rallying while wide on the course to be seventh.

He previously had finished second in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes and third in both the Grade 2 Rebel and Grade 3 Street Sense.

Bred in Kentucky by Lothenbach Stables Inc., Sandman is a son of Tapit out of the Distorted Humor mare Distorted Music. He was a $1.2 million purchase as a two-year-old by West Point Thoroughbreds, D. J. Stable, and CJ Stable.