Enter Sandman in the Preakness? Yes, indeed.

In a post on X on Saturday, May 10, the Preakness Stakes announced that Arkansas Derby winner and Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve seventh-place finisher Sandman will be entered in the 150^th running of the Preakness Stakes on May 17 at Pimlico.

“We wanted to see how he came back. He’s an extremely happy horse right now. It looks like the race might set up nice for him. It looks like there’s a fair amount of speed,” said trainer Mark Casse. “I always quote Allen Jerkens, ‘run ‘em when they’re good,’ and he’s good right now. We were planning on waiting for the Belmont, but a lot of things can happen in between. He’s telling us he’s happy so we’re going to go with it.”

Sandman at the Kentucky Derby. (Candice Chavez/Eclipse Sportswire)

The news was confirmed in a quote from Jon Green of DJ Stables, co-owners of Sandman. 

“Sandman came out of the Kentucky Derby in excellent shape. Because of that, Mark Casse and the partners have decided to run Sandman in the 150th Preakness Stakes. We are confident in the colt’s abilities and look forward to competing this weekend.”

The field for the 2025 Preakness has been in a state of flux since it was announced that Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not run in the second jewel of the Triple Crown and will be pointed to the Belmont Stakes instead. The Preakness lost another major contender when Wood Memorial Stakes presented by Resorts World Casino winner Rodriguez was withdrawn from consideration. Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism is so far only a possible entrant but is not confirmed, leaving the Preakness with only eight or nine probable entrants before Sandman’s announcement.

Sandman's jockey Jose Ortiz is already committed to ride Clever Again in the Preakness. A new rider for the Preakness will be named for Sandman.

Popular social media influencer Griffin Johnson, who has been frequently featured on America's Best Racing and various national media outlets, is a part owner of Sandman.

Preakness Notes:

River Thames breezed a half-mile in company at Belmont Park Saturday morning in preparation for a Preakness start. The son of Maclean’s Music, who is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, worked outside stablemate Trust Fund on his way to a clocking of 48.25 seconds, which ranked ninth of 38 recorded at the distance on the Belmont training track.

River Thames finished second by a neck behind Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes March 1 at Gulfstream Park before finishing three-quarters of a length behind victorious Burnham Square when third in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Gras Stakes April 6 at Keeneland. He was withheld from the Kentucky Derby while being targeted for the Preakness.

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Trainer Brendan Walsh called Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes winner Gosger a ‘go’ for the Preakness Stakes after the 3-year-old colt worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Keeneland.

Gosger worked side-by-side and finished on even terms with the 3-year-old filly Paris Lily, who is running in Friday’s Grade 2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico.

"He worked really well,” Walsh said. “He worked good, so we're a go. I think he's ready to take a step forward again off the last race.”

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Although Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners president and CEO Aron Wellman was disappointed that Journalism ended up second by 1 ½ lengths to Sovereignty as the 3-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby, he was impressed with the way the colt ran under adverse conditions.

“Definitely an admirable performance that certainly validated any and all notions that he's an elite horse,” Wellman said.

Journalism came out of the Derby in good condition and is being considered for the Preakness.

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About a dozen hours after American Promise finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas had decided the colt was headed to the Preakness Stakes.

American Promise. (Tim Sudduth/Eclipse Sportswire)

The Derby chart that showed American Promise had finished 38½ lengths behind Sovereignty meant nothing to the 89-year-old Lukas. He had watched American Promise endure a brutal trip in the 19-horse Derby and figured the massive son of Triple Crown winner Justify deserved another chance in Maryland’s marquee race. While the numbers 16 and 38½ might deter other trainers, Lukas is well-known for sometimes going against the grain and running his horses in the top races in America. And Lukas understands that a disappointing result in the Derby does not preclude a top performance in the Preakness. Three of Lukas’ seven Preakness wins came after less-than satisfying finishes at Churchill Downs.

In the 55 runnings of the Preakness since 1970, there have been 13 winners – 23.6 percent – that finished fifth or worse in the Derby and found glory at Pimlico. The biggest turnaround during that stretch was turned in by Louis Quatorze, who bounced back from finishing 16th, beaten 23¼ lengths in Louisville in 1996. Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito switched jockeys, turning to Hall of Famer Pat Day, and Day delivered on the speedy colt, who went off at 13-1 in the Preakness.

In 1986, Snow Chief won the Preakness after finishing 11th, beaten 19½ lengths, as a 2-1 favorite in the Derby. Snow Chief’s win came after Gate Dancer took the 1984 Preakness following a fifth (by DQ from fourth) by 5 ½ lengths; and Lukas’ Tank’s Prospect, who rebounded from a seventh by 11 lengths in the 1985 Derby.

Hansel won the 1991 Preakness after finishing 10th by 10¾ lengths in the Derby. Pine Bluff wore the Black-Eyed Susans at Pimlico in 1992 following his fifth-place finish by 7 ¼ lengths at Churchill. Lukas picked up his third Preakness score in 1994 when Tabasco Cat, sixth by nine lengths in the Derby, prevailed. The Bob Baffert-trained Point Given added to the resume that carried him to the 3-year-old male division title and Horse of the Year award in the Preakness two weeks after he was fifth, beaten 11 ½ lengths in the Derby. Baffert’s Lookin At Lucky won the 2010 Preakness following his sixth by seven lengths in Louisville.

Lukas saddled Oxbow to win the 2013 Preakness at 15-1 after he was sixth, beaten 9 ¾ lengths in the Derby. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse secured his first Preakness win in 2017 with War of Will, who was seventh in the Derby, though only beaten by 4 ½ lengths.

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Clever Again went out for a routine gallop Saturday at Churchill Downs in preparation for making his first graded-stakes appearance in the Preakness. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen plans to work Clever Again a half-mile on Monday and ship to Baltimore Tuesday.

Clever Again. (Coady Media)

Clever Again was away from the races for 10 months after finishing second in a 4 1/2-furlong race at Keeneland’s 2024 spring meet. He came back to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Oaklawn Park, followed by a four-length victory in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes at a two-turn mile.

“He had a few issues and had to take some time off,” co-owner Ron Winchell said before the Kentucky Derby. “We let horses tell us when they’re ready to come back.

“We’re pretty confident he can carry his speed a long distance,” Winchell added. “He’s very professional. He acts like a horse who just wants to do it. Mentally, he’s doing great. Physically, he’s doing great, and they think he’s coming into his own.”

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Pay Billy returned to the track Saturday at Delaware Park, two days after putting in his final breeze for the Preakness. Raul Mena is named to ride Pay Billy, who is scheduled to ship to Pimlico Tuesday.

“He galloped today and galloped nice,” trainer Mike Gorham said. “Everything looks good. He did everything right, cooled out good. We’re pretty much on target.”

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Heart of Honor, the UAE Derby runner-up who arrived in the U.S. Thursday following a trans-Atlantic flight from Great Britain, is scheduled to clear quarantine at Churchill Downs Sunday. The Jamie Osborne-trained son of Honor A. P. is slated to van to Pimlico Monday and take to the racetrack Tuesday in preparation for a start in the Preakness.