The late-running Sandman made waves with his eye-catching rally to win the Arkansas Derby and the presence of influencer Griffin Johnson in his entourage. It wasn’t enough to win the Derby, though, and he’ll need a fast, contested pace up front and a clean trip to win the Preakness.

7. SANDMAN (4-1)

Post Position: 7
Color/Sex: Gray/roan colt
Age: 3
Sire–Dam–Damsire: Tapit – Distorted Music – Distorted Humor
Owner: D J Stable et al.
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: John Velazquez
Record: 9 starts: 3 wins, 1 place, 2 shows
Earnings: $1,254,595
Typical Running Style: Closer
Last Raced: May 3, 2025 – Kentucky Derby – Seventh by 12½ lengths
Note: Deep closer needs a lively pace as he got when winning the Arkansas Derby
Quote: “He’s an extremely happy horse right now. It looks like the race might set up nice for him. It looks like there’s a fair amount of speed. I always quote Allen Jerkens, ‘Run ‘em when they’re good,’ and he’s good right now. We were planning on waiting for the Belmont, but a lot of things can happen in between. He’s telling us he’s happy so we’re going to go with it.” – Mark Casse

Sandman (4-1) returns just two weeks after finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby, where he made up some ground late but couldn’t threaten the leaders. A powerful closer, he earned his spot in the Triple Crown spotlight with a dramatic win in the Arkansas Derby, and trainer Mark Casse is hoping for a similar pace setup here. With Hall of Famer John Velazquez staying aboard and the colt reportedly thriving, Sandman looks to come flying late if things unfold his way early.

BREEDING

Sandman was the priciest of this year’s Preakness runners, selling as a two-year-old for $1.2 million.

He is by longtime top sire Tapit out of the Distorted Humor mare Distorted Music. Distorted Music won three times in a brief eight-race career, with one of them coming at a route distance.

She’s had four foals to race, Sandman being the richest of them. But Sandman’s half-sister by Bernardini, She Can’t Sing, was an awfully good horse in her own right, winning a Grade 3 on dirt and multiple stakes on turf while earning almost $900,000. She owns wins on both surfaces at distances up to 1 1/16 miles.

Tapit, the 2004 Wood Memorial winner, stands for $185,000 and has long been both a top sire and a considerable stamina influence. The average winning distance of his progeny is 7.6 furlongs. His list of top runners does not include a Preakness winner but does include $4.9 million earner Essential Quality, the undefeated Flightline, and the rocket ship Frosted, among many others.