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Mark Casse reports that Sandman has emerged from his seventh-place effort in the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby happy, eating well, and jumping around; all signs to him that the grey colt will be ready to run off two weeks' rest in the Gr.1 Preakness Stakes.
The dual Hall of Fame trainer had not originally planned to run the Gr.1 Arkansas Derby winner in Saturday's race, but the colt's upbeat energy and the removal of several key contenders prompted a rethink.
"Right after I said we weren't going to run, I started analysing it," Casse said. "(Churchill Downs-based assistant trainer) Allen Hardy, who's been with me for 15 years and knows (Sandman) well was telling me, 'Mark, he's better than before the Derby.'"
Casse has had plenty of success on short rest. Classic Empire returned from the Derby to run a caught-at-the-wire second in the 2017 Preakness while War of Will bounced out of the Derby to win the Preakness in 2019. Additionally, Casse trained Shamrock Rose to victories in the Gr.2 Raven Run Stakes and Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on two weeks' rest in 2018 and Got Stormy had one week between a De La Rose Stakes victory and a course-record-setting triumph against males in the Gr.1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Racecourse in 2019.
"We'd have pretty good luck coming back in a couple weeks," Casse said. "It doesn't scare me at all."
What could potentially scare Casse is the forecast for Baltimore. With rain predicted for each day this week, it could lead to a sloppy Pimlico Racecourse surface May 17 just like Sandman faced at Churchill Downs two weeks prior. On that track, Casse felt the son of Tapit never got a chance to run his best race as he was near the rear of the field getting pelted by mud.
"There's nothing that can prepare a horse for 19 horses throwing mud at him," Casse said. "People don't realise, but the farther back you are, the harder it hits you. If you can stay very close, the mud doesn't have enough time to really impact. I knew we were in trouble past the wire the first time."
Saturday will mark the final running of the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown at 'Old Hilltop' before it is demolished to make way for a modern building that is scheduled for completion in time for the 2027 Preakness. Laurel Park will host next year's 151st Preakness.
Despite the intermittent rain and the resulting soggy conditions following several days of drenching downpours at Pimlico, several fan tours could be seen milling about on Wednesday morning, getting a behind-the-scenes look at many of Saturday's Preakness Stakes participants.
While most trainers can outmaneuver Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas physically these days, few will beat him and his horses to the racetrack in the mornings. Outfitted with his brand-spanking new rain gear, an on-the-fly purchase courtesy of wife Laurie, The Coach's stakes team–led by Preakness contender American Promise–were among the first to appear at 6 a.m. Early Preakness favourite Journalism, runner-up behind Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, and European invader Heart of Honor followed about an hour later. 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented, coming off a front-running triumph in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on the Derby undercard, in addition to Arkansas Derby winner Sandman, were also among those who went out for some light work on a dreary morning.
On-hand to watch Derby seventh Sandman go about his daily business, West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley and internet influencer Griffin Johnson were among the colt's partnership members to make an appearance mid-week.
"It's been a whirlwind in a nutshell, getting with Sandman," said Johnson, who owns a share of Sandman. "When you own a piece of a horse, you never know what you're going to get. That's part of the fun, right? Obviously, Sandman has been a fantastic horse with a supreme amount of talent, and he has taken me on arguably the best journey that I could ever experience."
Casse, who previously won the second jewel of the Triple Crown with War of Will in 2019 and finished a head second with Classic Empire in 2017, pulled double duty Wednesday, cooling out the grey himself following his morning exertions.
"I'm trying to get in shape for Saratoga," Casse quipped when Lukas, seated in his usual spot by his barn office door, attempted to offer the services of his own staff to assist with the task.
Triple Crown Spacing Debate Intensifies
The defection of Rodriguez from the race earlier this month was the event that ultimately pushed Casse to his announcement that Sandman would enter the field.
"I've always said you can't stay away from one horse because a lot of things can happen," Casse said. "I'm not saying there's not other horses (in the Preakness) that can win, but they still have to prove they belong with that tier. To me, we're going in with one horse (Journalism) who's the head of the class versus the four. That's why we're here."
With the Derby winner's connections having opted to miss what they consider to be a quick turnaround in the Preakness, much of the hubbub Wednesday morning revolved around Michael McCarthy and Journalism. McCarthy, who in his first attempt won the Preakness with Rombauer in 2021, showed some signs of nervous anticipation of things to come.
"He's a wonderful athlete. He's got the looks and size," McCarthy said. "He's got the mechanics of a very good horse. His resume speaks for itself. He's a special, special talent."
The absence of the Derby winner has reignited debate around the Triple Crown scheduling. While Lukas and McCarthy stand firmly on 'Team Tradition', Casse is now advocating for change.
"If you had asked me this question a year ago, I would have had a different answer," Casse said. "After analysing it, I think right now our sport is headed in the right direction. To make the Preakness and Belmont better, I think we need to separate them some."
He continued, "This issue is not going away. In the 1940s, there weren't all these drug regulations and hoops that we need to jump through today. This is a different day and age. This is not 1940, this is 2025. If you stand still, you get run over."
One thing is certain - Casse will have something special working in Sandman's favour for the Preakness that he didn't have in the Derby.
Sandman is named after the Metallica song, "Enter Sandman." Casse had a chance to meet Metallica's James Hetfield during Derby week and got a signed hat for a friend.