Iroquois Stakes: Sandman gets more ground as race for Derby points begins

Trainer Mark Casse has been enjoying Sandman ever since the gray colt came to his barn as an expensive purchase earlier this year.

“He’s just a wonderful horse to be around,” Casse said. “He does things in the mornings that make me smile.”

Casse hopes Sandman has him smiling Saturday evening at Churchill Downs as the long and winding road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby begins right where it will end – beneath the twin spires. The Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes for 2-year-olds is the first race awarding points toward a spot in the starting gate for next May’s classic, on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top finishers. The sister race, Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes for fillies, awards points toward the 2025 Kentucky Oaks on the same scale.

Sandman races for D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables after his $1.2 million purchase out of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale of 2-year-olds in training, making him the most expensive juvenile from the dispersal of the late Robert Lothenbach’s Thoroughbred holdings. Lothenbach did not breed commercially, generally retaining his horses to race. Since the young Sandman, by classic sire Tapit, was not originally geared toward the sales, he, like all of the dispersal’s offerings, simply galloped during the under-tack preview show at the sale, rather than being prepared to turn in a traditional breeze. Still, Casse said the colt stepped into formal training and breezing professionally this spring, despite previously not having been asked for much.

“Since day one, he always showed that he was kind of head of the class, easy, easy,” Casse said. “Every time I would throw something at him, he would say, ‘I want more.’ ”

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Casse said he was surprised Sandman didn’t do much running in his debut, going six furlongs June 27 at Churchill Downs. He theorized the colt was simply frazzled in his first racing experience, finishing fifth after prompting the pace. In his second start, going seven furlongs Aug. 10 at Saratoga, he wanted to work on the colt’s ability to rate. Sandman was able to save ground behind the pace, find an inside route into the stretch, and professionally edge clear. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81 – a big step forward from his debut, and a number that stacks up well in this field.

“He settled nice and responded,” Casse said.

Sandman, who is bred to handle more distance, has drawn post 7 in a big field of 12 as he reunites with Jose Ortiz, who rode him on debut. The ability to settle and rate might be useful in a field with horses who might want the lead both inside of him – graded stakes-placed First Resort and Jack’s Time – and outside him, in Magnitude.

Stakes winners Owen Almighty and Politicallycorrect get a rematch, and both should be able to adjust as the pace develops. Politicallycorrect won on the lead at first asking at Churchill, then came from far back to win the Bashford Manor there on June 30, taking advantage of a scorching pace. In the Ellis Park Juvenile, going seven furlongs Aug. 11, both Politicallycorrect and Owen Almighty sat just off the pace. Owen Almighty was full of run, surging to the lead and clearing in the stretch to win by 4 3/4 lengths, with Politicallycorrect second.

Strummin and Giocoso are the only members of this field to go a mile or longer already. Strummin finally won his maiden in his sixth career start, going a 1 1/2-turn mile on the Ellis main track. Giocoso was second at a mile on turf at Ellis, then won his next outing at 1 1/16 miles on turf. It is a widely held opinion that turf form often translates well to the Churchill dirt.

Before saddling Sandman, Casse will have a chance in the Pocahontas with La Cara. The filly muddled her way through learning experiences in her first three starts, while facing future stakes winners Vodka With a Twist and Kimchi Cat. La Cara got away much sharper in her fourth start, going seven furlongs at Saratoga, and was hand-ridden home to win by eight lengths with an 84 Beyer, tied for best in this overflow field. That 84 was matched by Kimchi Cat in the off-the-turf Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga.

There is plenty of speed in this group. Perhaps getting the best of things in the draw was Stilettos, who is comfortably outside the others in post 12 and will have plenty of time, in the long run to the turn, to avoid being hung wide. The Texas-bred filly graduated from a dominant Lone Star maiden victory to establish her class with a win in the Ellis Park Debutante.

“You never really know what they beat in those [Texas] races, but since she’s gotten to Kentucky, she’s gotten bigger and stronger,” trainer Bret Calhoun said after the Debutante. “I can’t see why she can’t stretch out. She doesn’t seem to have much distance limitations at this stage.”

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