Arkansas Derby (G1) winner and social media star Sandman has been retired from racing, according to a social media post by Griffin Johnson, and will stand the 2027 breeding season at Rockridge Stud near Hudson, N. Y.
A $1.2 million purchase at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment, the Lothenbach Stable-bred son of Tapit raced for D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stable and was trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse.
After breaking his maiden second time out at Saratoga Race Course, Sandman would complete his 2-year-old season finishing third behind eventual 2025 Horse of the Year and Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Sovereignty in the 2024 Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs and winning an Oaklawn Park allowance race that would put him back on the Kentucky Derby trail.
At 3, Sandman's closing kick was a consistent force in Oaklawn's 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby. In the Southwest Stakes (G3), he closed to finish second after jumping in the air as the gate opened and spotting the field several lengths. He then finished third in the Rebel Stakes (G2) before breaking through with a powerful 2 1/2-length triumph in the Arkansas Derby. He would go on to finish seventh in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
Sandman retires with a career record of 3-1-3 from 15 starts for earnings of $1,547,831. He will stand at Rockridge for a $10,000 fee.
#EnterSandman @lmgriffjohnson pic.twitter.com/qilv8i0L4t
— Erin Robinson (@rockridgestud) October 7, 2026
READ: Sandman Will Start Stud Career in 2027 at Rockridge
Although a winner at the top level, Sandman's greatest contribution may not have come in the races themselves, but by being an ambassador for the sport on social media.
Through America's Best Racing's 'A Stake in Stardom' initiative, which provides minority ownership shares in racehorses to famous personalities with the goal of bringing racing to a newer audience, Sandman was paired with Johnson, a lifestyle social media influencer who has a combined 13.5 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and X.
An outsider to Thoroughbred racing prior to receiving a stake in Sandman with West Point Thoroughbreds, Johnson exposed his novice audience to the inner workings of the industry. With Sandman on the Kentucky Derby trail and qualifying for America's biggest race, he became a star.
"He is my first horse, my soul horse, my first win, my child," Johnson said in the Oct. 7 post announcing Sandman's retirement. "I was only a small piece of his career, yet he has changed my entire life.
"People often ask me why I chose racing, but the truth is, racing chose me. I never knew I could fall in love with a horse the way I have with Sandman, but I've loved him like a child since the day we met."
According to ABR, Johnson made 51 social media posts relating to Sandman and the Derby from March 20-May 5, 2025, (not including Instagram or Snapchat stories). Those posts received over 212.2 million impressions, 3.3 million engagements, and 35 million views. In addition, Johnson appeared in numerous articles and made appearances on television, radio, podcasts, and digital streams.
That visibility of the sport was given praise by Churchill Downs senior vice president and general manager Mike Ziegler during the 2025 Association of Racing Commissioners International conference when discussing the 151st Derby setting record numbers in wagering and recording the race's highest viewership since 1989.
"If you would have told me that we were going to be up over Derby 150 (in 2024), I never would have believed it," Ziegler said at the conference. "The social media impact of this past Derby was astronomical, exponentially bigger than Derby 150. A lot of that has to do with Griffin Johnson and the other influencers that were here for Derby. That's really impactful and that's what we have to give credit to for this increased television viewership."
READ: Record Derby Success Could 'Influence' Racing's Future
Johnson's coverage of racing has extended beyond Sandman, showing behind the scenes of the industry while also getting involved in ownership with several other West Point horses like Ewing, Curtain Call, and Flightress. He also featured Casse runners Silent Tactic, Counting Stars, and Nitrogen on his pages as they appeared in top-level races this year.
Johnson has also become a board member and social media promoter for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Equine Recovery Foundation, a non-profit charity dedicated to providing second chances, medical care, rehabilitation, and lifetime aftercare for Thoroughbred racehorses with career-ending injuries.
In his post, Johnson said he plans to visit Rockridge often and bring his audience along as Sandman becomes a sire.
"I plan to visit him regularly, follow his babies all the way to the track and keep everyone updated on him along the way," Johnson said.
