OZONE PARK, N.Y – Sandman has entered the Preakness picture. Sandman, the Arkansas Derby winner who finished seventh as the second betting choice in the Kentucky Derby, has come out of the race well enough in trainer Mark Casse’s estimation to run back in next Saturday’s $2 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. “He’s trained really well, he’s got good energy, he’ll go to Pimlico on Monday,” Casse said. In the Kentucky Derby, Sandman may not have cared for the sloppy track that much, Casse said and he would like to give him another shot on a dry, fast track. He was beaten 12 1/2 lengths by Sovereignty in the Derby. :: DRF's Preakness Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, and more “He never got into the race at all, especially the first part of it,” Casse said. “He made a little bit of a run, not a great one. It’s so hard to take anything out of it over that track. The two best horses that day ran one-two, take nothing away from them.” Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty is bypassing the Preakness to point to the June 7 Belmont Stakes. Journalism, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, is still under consideration for the Preakness, with a decision expected Sunday or Monday. Sandman was ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Jose Ortiz but he is committed to ride Clever Again in the Preakness. As of Saturday morning, Casse had not settled on a rider. Casse won the 2019 Preakness with War of Will, who crossed the finish line eighth in the Kentucky Derby, but was elevated to seventh after he was the one who took the worst of the interference caused by Maximum Security, who was disqualified from first and placed 17th. Sandman joins American Promise (16th) as the second horse from the Kentucky Derby confirmed to run in the Preakness. Journalism could become the third. River Thames, Gosger work Preakness candidates River Thames and Gosger both put in workouts Saturday morning at different venues for the Preakness. At Belmont Park, River Thames worked a half-mile in 48.38 seconds over the training track that was labeled good after Friday’s significant rain. :: Get Preakness Betting Strategies for exclusive wagering insights, contender analysis, and more Under exercise rider Fernando Rivera, River Thames started a half-length off of workmate Trust Fund – a 4-year-old New York-bred who is 1 for 7. River Thames went his first quarter in 24.16 seconds, got his last quarter in 24.22 while finishing two lengths clear at the wire. River Thames continued out by himself through five furlongs in 1:01.77, six furlongs in 1:15.38 and seven furlongs in 1:29.63. “I thought it was good, I was happy with it, it’s consistent with the way he always breezes, he’s always been a solid workhorse,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He eased away from his workmate there late, I thought it was good. He got something out of it without overdoing it.” River Thames, a New York-bred son of Maclean’s Music, won his first two starts in a three-week period at Gulfstream Park. He then came back in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, where he was beaten a head by Sovereignty. River Thames skipped the Florida Derby for the Blue Grass at Keeneland where he finished third, beaten three-quarters of a length by Burnham Square. “I thought he ran to the wire well in the Blue Grass, he’s still trying, couldn’t get quite to the one horse [East Avenue] and a horse [Burnham Square] got past him late,” Pletcher said. “It was encouraging enough at a mile and an eighth to suggest that at Pimlico he could get a little farther.” Pletcher is seeking his first Preakness victory. He has started 10 horses in eight runnings, with Impeachment’s third-place finish in 2000 his best result. At Keeneland, Lexington Stakes winner Gosger worked five furlongs in 1:00.60, the fastest of 14 at the distance. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.20. "Good, he worked really well,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He worked good, so, we're a go. He's good. I think he's ready to take a step forward again off the last race. He seems like he's been working very well since – I think just true natural improvement, and I think he's ready to take another step forward." Gosger will be ridden by Luis Saez in the Preakness. – additional reporting by Nicole Russo :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.