HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Sandman developed into a serious racehorse over the winter at Oaklawn Park and, after exiting his Saturday win in the Arkansas Derby in good order, will leave Monday for Churchill Downs to begin preparations for the Kentucky Derby, according to trainer Mark Casse.
Sandman won a first-level allowance on Dec. 13 at Oaklawn and from there was second in the Southwest Stakes and then third in the Rebel. He advanced to the meet’s richest race, the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby, and closed for a 2 1/2-length win in the 1 1/8-mile feature. Sandman earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 99.
“It looks like almost every race was a little better than the previous and we’ve always felt like the longer the better,” Casse said Sunday. “The nice thing is, he’s in a happy place, he’s going to get another eighth of a mile, and he’s got some racing experience. So, all those things can be very important for the Kentucky Derby.”
Casse was pleased with how the horse emerged from the Arkansas Derby.
“He’s great this morning, bouncy, happy, ate late night,” Casse said Sunday. “It was good to see him get a good trip and be able to strut his stuff.”
Casse won the Arkansas Derby for the second time in his career; he captured the race in 2017 with champion Classic Empire.
Sandman, for his win Saturday, picked up 100 points for the Kentucky Derby. He sits atop the points leaderboard for the race with 129.
Publisher closed from last for second in the Arkansas Derby and plans are to advance to the Kentucky Derby, trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday. The horse earned 50 points and overall has 60 to sit 10th on the points leaderboard administered by Churchill Downs. Asmussen trainee Tiztastic, the winner of the Louisiana Derby, is second on the list with 119.
Publisher was about 15 lengths off a quick, contested pace at one point in the Arkansas Derby and put in a strong run through the lane. For his effort, Publisher earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 95.
“It was a solid race,” Asmussen said. “It was one placing away from where we wanted to be, but we were very proud of him.”
Publisher has developed over the Oaklawn meet. He was second in a maiden special weight route won by American Promise, who would go on to win the Virginia Derby. Publisher proceeded to the Southwest and was placed sixth after significant trouble, and from there he was a good fourth in the Rebel. Asmussen said there were reasons to run the horse, who is still a maiden, in the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn.
“He’s kept this company,” Asmussen said. “His workmates have been Magnitude and Tiztastic his whole life. It hasn’t been a big stretch to think he was capable of it.”
Asmusssen said Publisher will ship to Churchill Downs on Monday. The horse is a son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Coal Battle was third in the Arkansas Derby, beaten seven lengths, after winning four consecutive stakes, including the Smarty Jones and Rebel at Oaklawn. Trainer Lonnie Briley said Coal Battle will advance to the Kentucky Derby.
“He’s come back good,” Briley said Sunday. “He was just so much on the muscle yesterday in the paddock, and he kind of outdid himself like that. I had to saddle him on the walk and that’s never him. In the post parade, he was on the muscle and when they popped the latches, he was trying to go to the front and he went to the front for the second. Usually, he’s relaxed and you can place him where you want him. He kind of beat himself yesterday.
“Going into the race I thought Sandman would be a threat," Briley added. "It’s like my little horse has a quicker turn of foot, but Sandman’s got a longer stride and I’ve got to be far enough in front of him where he can’t catch me. They were kind of stalking me yesterday and they played that game and when I moved they moved and they got me. My little horse kind of wore himself out.”
Coal Battle has a total of 95 points for the Kentucky Derby and ranks sixth on the list administered by Churchill Downs.
Briley said plans are to have Coal Battle’s next work at Oaklawn, then ship him to Churchill Downs for his final prep work ahead of the Kentucky Derby.
Oaklawn drew an estimated crowd of 68,500 on Saturday. Handle on the 14-race card from all sources was $24.3 million, according to figures from the track. The racing surface was wet to start the card Saturday, but was upgraded to fast by the Arkansas Derby.
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