Rallying from behind a blistering pace set by dueling Speed King and Cornucopian, Sandman rallied and outkicked fellow closer Publisher by 2 1/2 lengths to capture the $1.5 million Grade 1 Arkansas Derby March 29 at Oaklawn Park.

The Arkansas Derby awarded Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to its top five finishers. At least for now, Sandman is the new leader atop the Leaderboard on the road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve with 129 qualifying points ahead of the May 3 run for the roses.

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Stewards briefly reviewed an erratic stretch run from Sandman, who drifted out under urging, before making no change to the order of finish. Sandman completed 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:50.08, paying $9.40 to win.

Coal Battle finished third, 4 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up in third. He was followed by favored Cornucopian in fourth and longshot Brereton's Baytown in fifth. Speed King faded to sixth.

Jose Ortiz rode the winner and in a postrace interview on horseback shortly after the race, expressed his excitement to reunite with him in the Derby.

"When he entered the stretch, he exploded," he said of Sandman's Arkansas Derby.

Front-running Speed King hooked up with the stretching-out second-time starter Cornucopian in a speed duel, opening up 8 1/2 lengths on Coal Battle in third by the half-mile call, setting up the Arkansas Derby for an off-the-pace runner to prevail.

"The farther they went (battling for the lead), the more confident I was," said Sandman's trainer, Hall of Famer Mark Casse.

Splits of :22.46, :45.21, and 1:10.37 left the leaders gassed in the lane, though the lightly raced Cornucopian fought on admirably to earn a minor share.

Coal Battle, who had beaten Sandman in the Oaklawn's Rebel Stakes, was first to pounce, taking over the lead briefly approaching the stretch until the diminutive, fast-accelerating colt could not keep up with the longer-striding Sandman in their first race beyond 1 1/16 miles. The Arkansas Derby marked Coal Battle's first loss in six dirt races.

Jose Ortiz on Sandman. (Tommy Land/Eclipse Sportswire)

"Well, I think he was too fresh today," Coal Battle's trainer Lonnie Briley told FanDuel Racing. "I needed four works (in) him and I got three, and it showed today."

Based on historical trends, the runner-up Publisher with 60 overall points and show finisher Coal Battle with 95 points will also gain entry into the Kentucky Derby.

The Arkansas Derby, the richest domestic Kentucky Derby prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, has produced eight Kentucky Derby winners, including last year's Derby winner, Mystik Dan, who finished third in the 2024 Arkansas Derby.

Three horses have won both races: Sunny's Halo (1983), Smarty Jones (2004), and Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh (2015).

For Casse, Sandman represents one of his best career chances to win the Kentucky Derby after 10 defeats. The trainer has already won the other two legs of the Triple Crown, taking the 2019 Preakness Stakes with War of Will and that year's Belmont Stakes with Sir Winston.

Casse believes Sandman is a horse who will relish the Derby's 1 1/4-mile distance.

"He wants you 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," Casse said.