Sandman, the popular gray colt, has his partner for the Preakness.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said he would have a Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez on the team for the second leg of the Triple Crown, and Velazquez certainly is just that.

He replaces Jose Ortiz, who rode Sandman to a seventh-place finish in the Derby and a win in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Ortiz is riding Clever Again in the Preakness for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

“Johnny is a strong rider, and Sandman needs a strong rider,” Casse said. “I think he will fit hm perfectly. One thing you will find about the good riders – the Irads (Ortiz), the Joses, the Juniors (Alvarado), the (Joel) Rosarios, the Johnnys … they all know what every horse is going to be doing. That is what they do. The only thing I can do by giving instructions is mess it up.”

Velazquez won his first Preakness in 2023 when he was aboard National Treasure. Sandman will be his 14th career mount in the Preakness.

Casse gave Sandman, who has been at Churchill Downs since the Derby, the morning off on Monday, He was scheduled to board a van Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. and arrive in Baltimore between 4 and 5 a.m., Casse said.

Casse will arrive at Pimlico from his base in Ocala, Fla. sometime Tuesday afternoon. He said his New York assistant, Shane Tripp, will also be in Baltimore. He will be Sandman’s exercise rider here.

“We decided to give Sandman an easy day because it’s a ship of 12 hours or so,” Casse said. “He is doing great.”

Once he arrives, Sandman, owned by D.J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables, will walk on Tuesday and then train the next three days at a time to be determined.

Sandman is one of three horses running in the Preakness from the Kentucky Derby. The other two are runner-up Journalism, the expected Preakness favorite, and American Promise, who finished 16th at Churchill.

“Obviously, Journalism is the horse to beat,” Casse said. “He ran really well in the Derby and you know Wayne (Lukas, trainer of American Promise) is always tough. It looks like there will be a decent amount of speed in the race, and that is good for us.”