Sandman Records Final Derby Breeze 10 Days Before Race

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) just 10 days away, trainers are beginning to plot their contenders' final breezes around the weather this upcoming weekend. However, 10 days was the exact timing that dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was targeting as Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman completed his final move ahead of the May 3 race. "I liken training horses (to) going to the top of the mountain," Casse said. "When you're at the top of the mountain, you're there. He's at the top of the mountain. He just needs to stay there and be happy. Right now I'm just focused on keeping him happy, keeping me happy. If he's happy, I'm happy." With regular exercise rider Froylan Garcia aboard April 23, the gray and/or roan colt started comfortably around the far turn before beginning to pick it up down the lane. Posting splits of :13 3/5, :26 1/5, and :38, the son of Tapit completed his five-furlong breeze in 1:02 2/5 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:15 3/5, according to Churchill Downs clockers. "He went off easy. I don't think he even knew he was breezing," said Casse. "He figured it out at the top of the lane. He's like, 'Oh, you want me to go,' and he came home really nice. He didn't want to pull up. Remember, we're aiming to go a mile and a quarter, so all systems are go. We'll just kind of take it easy from this point on. He's ready." The time was nothing flashy, finishing with the 20th-fastest time of 29 horses to work the distance Wednesday, but he moved fluidly and showed good energy in the gallop out. Casse reported the colt didn't need to take a deep breath while cooling down. Casse has been down this road before with horses he thought were real contenders to win the Derby before things went awry. In 2017, his 2-year-old champion male, Classic Empire, was bumped and shoved exiting the starting gate, forcing him to be farther behind than anticipated in the early stages before rallying for fourth. In 2019, the Casse-trained War of Will threatened with a bid on the Derby's final turn before being cut off by Maximum Security with interference that contributed to stewards disqualifying the latter from victory. War of Will was elevated to seventh place and would win the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1) two weeks later. Three weeks after War of Will gave Casse his first American classic, Sir Winston would win the Belmont Stakes (G1) for the trainer. The Derby is the only race of the Triple Crown that Casse has not yet won. Classic Empire gave him his best finish from 10 starters. It wouldn't be a shock for Sandman to encounter traffic in the Derby given his customary style as a deep closer—a guarantee he will encounter traffic at some point—but Casse feels confident that the colt has the proper experience to handle those scenarios given the larger field sizes he faced on Oaklawn Park's Kentucky Derby trail. "I've been doing this for a long, long time so I know there's so many things that can go wrong," said Casse, who began training in 1979. "You need some luck, but I'm as confident as I've ever been in him, maybe more so. I feel like he's coming to the race great. Everything is working out, and we need some luck." Casse also pointed to something that has proven successful to many participants in other sports: home-field advantage. The colt owned by D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables spent much of his 2-year-old season training at Churchill Downs. That being said, the colt is 0-for-3 with two off-the-board finishes at the Louisville, Ky., track, but both of those off-the-board runs were around one turn for a horse always expected to get better as the distances got longer. "This is home for him. … They're playing in our house, I think that's an advantage," Casse said. "When you go through things and you check off, does he have enough experience? Yes. Is he running at home? Yes. Is he training as good as you can see a horse train? Yes. We have one of the best riders in the world (Jose Ortiz)? Yes. The only question mark, maybe, is me." Other Derby, Oaks WORKERS Out West, reigning champion 2-year-old male Citizen Bull joined Sandman with a work 10 days before the Derby. The Bob Baffert trainee breezed seven furlongs in 1:24 1/5. He is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs following a cross-country flight April 24. He races for SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. His Baffert-trained stablemate, Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) winner Rodriguez, arrived at Churchill Downs April 22 along with Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner and expected favorite, Journalism. Both had their first gallop around the Churchill Downs oval during the special Derby training time at 7:15 a.m. ET. "I thought he was great; that's more or less what we see all the time," said Journalism's trainer, Michael McCarthy. "He's got a lovely, long, and fluid stride. It looked like he got over the ground well here today." Earlier in the morning, Greenwell Thoroughbreds' Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender, Quickick, recorded her final breeze before the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1). Working outside of a Tom Amoss-trained stablemate, she recorded five furlongs in 1:01 1/5, ninth fastest of 29 at the distance. At Keeneland, Cypress Creek Equine and Madaket Stables' Bourbonette Oaks winner Bless the Broken, trained by Will Walden, breezed a half-mile in :48 for the Kentucky Oaks, sixth fastest of 43 at the distance. "It was good; we weren't trying to do too much," Walden told Keeneland publicity. "Happy with the way she is coming into the race. Hopefully, she is peaking at the right moment." C2 Racing Stable, Ken Reimer, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, and Bradley Kent's Gazelle Stakes (G3) runner-up Early On recorded the 10th-fastest half-mile at Keeneland in :48 2/5 as she continues Oaks prep for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.