Striking gray 3-year-old racehorse Sandman will be one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve May 3 at Churchill Downs. That alone means Sandman will be the subject of intense media coverage leading up to the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

Younger fans, however, most likely first heard about the racehorse Sandman not via traditional media outlets but through the social media accounts of his minority owner Griffin Johnson, an influencer with more than 14 million followers.

Johnson is a shareholder in Sandman through Terry Finley’s West Point Thoroughbreds, a pairing formed by America’s Best Racing’s “A Stake in Stardom” influencer ownership initiative. Johnson, who grew up in Southern Illinois, was at Churchill Downs for Sandman’s June 27, 2024, debut (see below) and has supported him every step of the way on the path to Louisville for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.   

Johnson has thoroughly enjoyed learning all facets of the horse racing business with the West Point Thoroughbreds partnership – attending sales and races with Finley as well as visiting aftercare facilities – but this blog is about Johnson’s racehorse, Sandman, so let’s learn more about him starting with the basics and a little about his personality.

“He has a fun, playful personality,” Finley said. “He loves those peppermints. And he will share his opinion when the peppermints are gone.”

Arkansas Derby winner Sandman (Coady Media)

WHO: 3-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse Sandman

WHAT: Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve

WHEN: May 3. Start time is set for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET.

WHERE: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

HOW: Qualified by winning the Arkansas Derby March 29 after finishing third in the Rebel Stakes and second in the Southwest Stakes, all at Oaklawn Park

Let’s talk a little about genetics. Pedigrees are a big thing when it comes to Thoroughbred racehorses and Sandman’s is a part of why he was a $1.2 million purchase as a 2-year-old at auction. Sandman’s sire (father) is 2004 Wood Memorial Stakes winner Tapit and his dam (mother) is Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor. From his mother’s name, you can see how he came to be named Sandman, after the Metallica song “Enter Sandman.”

In terms of his breeding, it’s important to know that Tapit has been the leading sire in North America by progeny earnings on multiple occasions. Some of his best runners include Belmont Stakes winners Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016), Tapwrit (2017), and Essential Quality (2021) and he has sired five other top-three finishers in the 1 ½-mile race that’s called “Test of the Champion.” That explains Sandman’s exceptional stamina and why he should be able to run well in the Kentucky Derby, which is 1 ¼ miles long. Tapit also is the sire of brilliant 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, who was raced by a partnership that included Terry Finley’s West Point Thoroughbreds. Sandman’s eye-catching gray coat comes from Tapit.

@americasbestracing The Saratoga water bath is SANDMAN is gearing up for the Arkansas Derby this Saturday & finishing in the top 3 could secure his spot in the 151st Kentucky Derby @griffinjohnson @West Point Thoroughbreds @Oaklawn Hot Springs #thoroughbred #horsegirl #ottb #horsetok #racehorse #kentuckyderby ♬ Shut up and Drive - ○■○

“He’s a horse that catches your attention. I’ve come across so many people with similar comments about when they saw him for the first time and said, ‘Who is that?’” Finley said. “He is very smart, but he is not the most precocious horse, so I think that he was a perfect fit for [trainer] Mark Casse, who has been patient bringing him along in kind of an old-school way, building and building and it sure seems like there is a lot more in the tank. That’s what we’re dreaming about anyway.”

As Finley mentioned and you can see from the first video embedded above, Sandman’s journey to Louisville for the “run for the roses” was not a path paved by one victory after another. Racehorse development frequently is not linear – there typically are ups and downs along the way as horses learn what is being asked of them – and that was the case with Sandman. He was always talented but needed some time to figure things out.

Sandman won his second start in August 2024 at Saratoga Race Course. His stakes debut did not go as well, but he showed some fight by rallying late to finish fifth in the Iroquois Stakes, a Kentucky Derby qualifying points race in September at Churchill Downs.

Sandman next finished third in the Street Sense Stakes, another Kentucky Derby qualifier, before earning his second win in his final start of 2024 in a one-mile race at Oaklawn Park.

Sandman's career-best race in the Arkansas Derby. (Eclipse Sportswire)

As a 3-year-old in 2025, Sandman’s progress toward being one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby has been more straightforward in three starts at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. He overcame an awful start to finish a fast-closing second in the $1 million Southwest Stakes Jan. 25; rallied from 13 lengths back for third in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes Feb. 23; and closed from 13 lengths back to win the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby by 2 ½ lengths March 29. He earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure and 104 Equibase Speed Figure for the Arkansas Derby win, numbers that make him a win candidate in the Kentucky Derby.

Sandman has been putting in his final preparations for the Kentucky Derby for trainer Mark Casse at Churchill Downs. In between starts, Thoroughbreds complete timed workouts, or breezes, to maintain a peak fitness level. Sandman has breezed twice at Churchill, completing a half-mile workout in :49.60 April 15 and a five-eighths of a mile workout in 1:02.40 April 23.

“It was a perfect breeze,” Casse said of the April 23 workout. “I told everyone going in not to expect anything spectacular because he’s already race fit. He’s funny because he’s an extremely smart horse, so he broke off and I think he thought he was just galloping, then at the top of the lane I said to the kid through the walkie talkie, ‘OK, time to pick it up’ and you can see in the video where he switched into high gear. He cooled out perfect, didn’t take a deep breath.”   

Terry Finley (Coglianese photos)

Who are the people behind the horse? Lothenbach Stables bred Sandman in Kentucky, and he is trained by Casse, a Racing Hall of Famer in both Canada and U.S. Casse has won the Preakness Stakes in 2019 with War of Will and the Belmont Stakes in 2019 with Sir Winston, but he is still seeking his first Kentucky Derby win. Sandman’s jockey is Jose Ortiz, the 2017 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding jockey. Ortiz’s best finish in the Kentucky Derby came in 2018 when he rode runner-up Good Magic.

Sandman is owned by the partnership of D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables. D J Stable is the racing operation of Len and Lois Green and managed by their son, Jonathan Green, who co-hosts the Rail Talk podcast. D J Stables has raced multiple champions, as has St. Elias Stable, the racing operation of Vinnie Viola, owner of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League. St. Elias was co-owner of 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming along with West Point Thoroughbreds. Charles Sonson's CJ Stables is relatively new to Thoroughbred racing.

West Point Thoroughbreds won the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming and the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic with the world’s number 1-ranked racehorse, Flightline. They have won more than 1,200 races and amassed more than $88.8 million in purse earnings dating back to 2007. The syndicate was named by founder Finley as a tribute to his alma mater.