Sandman scores $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1). (Coady Media)
Scores 100 points for ticket to Kentucky Derby
Robert Yates/Oaklawn Park
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – All he needed was a lightning-fast pace to finally put his rivals to sleep.
Sandman scored his breakthrough stakes victory Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn, rolling to a 2 1/2-length victory over Publisher in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) before an estimated crowd of 68,500.
Seventh after a half-mile, 13 ½ lengths behind, Sandman ($9.40) made his winning move on the second turn, inhaling the two leg-weary front-runners, Cornucopian and Speed King, as well as Coal Battle approaching the top of the stretch.
Sandman, under Jose Ortiz, took command on the outside turning for home and wasn’t threatened late, despite lugging out near the eighth pole.
Publisher, a now-seven-race maiden who was racing in blinkers for the first time, finished 4 ½ lengths ahead of millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle. It was another 1 ½ lengths farther back in fourth to 4-5 favorite Cornucopian, who was making his stakes and two-turn debut in just his second career start. Brereton’s Baytown, Speed King, Monet’s Magic, Bestfriend Rocket and First Division completed the order of finish.
Cornucopian and Southwest winner Speed King dueled through exhausting splits of :22.46 for the opening quarter-mile, :45.21 for a half-mile and 1:10.37 for 6 furlongs. Neither survived. Late-running Sandman, however, thrived. His winning time over a fast track was 1:50.08.
Sandman represented the second Arkansas Derby victory for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, who also won the race in 2017 with champion Classic Empire. Sandman was making his fifth stakes appearance. He finished a troubled second in the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 25 and was third as the favorite in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 23. Both 1 1/16-mile races were at Oaklawn.
Sandman collected 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the victory, his third in eight lifetime starts. A gray son of super sire Tapit, Sandman raised his lifetime earnings to $1,254,595.
A $1.2 million OBS March Two-Year-Old in Training purchase, Sandman races for D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables.
ARKANSAS DERBY QUOTES
Winning Trainer Mark Casse (Sandman): “I couldn’t believe it, actually (early fractions). I said: ‘Well, they’ll have to be superstars to keep going.’ The farther they went, the more confident I was. The faster they went, the more I smiled. I think that (lugging out in the stretch and still winning by 2 ½ lengths) just shows how good he is. He wasn’t focusing and he was still able to draw away. As (jockey) Jose (Ortiz) said, he wants to get into a rhythm. And if you can get him into that rhythm, he’ll just go. Jose said he didn’t take a deep breath when he pulled up.”
Winning Jockey Jose Ortiz (Sandman): “We knew back then (Grade 3 Iroquois Sept. 14 at Churchill Downs) that he wasn’t a one-turn horse. I was a little sad that I lost him because he came this way. But very excited to get him back. Today, a mile and an eighth, he’s proved that the two turns is his game. Very happy, very excited. Kentucky Derby – here we (come). He was a little shy from the whip from the left hand. I could see that from the replays the last time. I tried one time and didn’t try it again. So, he was rolling.”
Second-Place Trainer Steve Asmussen (Publisher): “I’m very pleased with the progression he’s made. I love the class of that horse. I mean, he is meant for a big day. He is classy and calm. Wastes zero energy doing anything he shouldn’t be doing. Top class horse. (Did blinkers help?). I was hoping he would be a little bit closer, but he kind of got squeezed away from there again. You know what? With the pace scenario, we got a good trip. Winner outran us. At the head of the stretch, I’d have picked us and we ended up second. I’m very proud of how he ran and we need to find more.”
Third-Place Jockey Juan Vargas (Coal Battle): “I think one thing that hurt my horse this time was he was very aggressive – like never before. I know he broke well from the gate, but this time he was very aggressive. I had to fight the horse and I think that cost me the race, for sure. If he had settled down, like normally he does, it was a perfect race for him. This time, I had to fight him a lot. You can’t fight him.”
Third-Place Trainer Lonnie Briley (Coal Battle): “He was a little too fresh today. And you always think about the drawing board, going back to it. But in the paddock, he was a little anxious and stuff. So, I was worried about that today. He ran a good race. He ran third and Sandman had been coming from behind, so we knew that he would be a factor. When they added the blinkers to Publisher, he’s a good horse and he ran big. He (Coal Battle) ran good against some good horses. We’ll have another shot at them soon.”
Fourth-Place Jockey John Velazquez (Cornucopian): “Nothing else you can say. We went fast.”
