Sandman ready to step up after notching maiden victory
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Enter Sandman into the fray of impressive Saratoga maiden winners who will be looking for stakes company next time out. Sandman, a seven-figure purchase earlier this year, won his second career start in the Saturday opener at Saratoga, handily tackling the seven-furlong distance.
Trainer Mark Casse said he could "maybe" look at the Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes on Sept. 14 at Churchill Downs as a next outing for the Tapit colt. The one-mile race has, for the last several years, served as the first points race toward the following year's Kentucky Derby. More immediately, the race serves as a good progression in distance to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, at 1 1/16 miles, on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
"I do want to stretch him out," Casse said. "You're always thinking Breeders' Cup, so I have to figure out the best way to get him to the Breeders' Cup, because I think he's that kind."
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, as part of 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 - a half-brother to graded stakes winner She Can't Sing, from the family of Grade/Group 1 winners Music Note, Musical Chimes, and Mystic Guide - and his other juveniles were not originally prepared for the commercial marketplace, all of the dispersal's offerings simply galloped during the under-tack preview show at OBS March, rather than turning in a traditional furlong or quarter-mile breeze.
"He has a wonderful pedigree, a beautiful horse, he moves nice on the track, and when you do all those things, you bring a lot of money," Casse said.
Sandman made his debut going six furlongs on June 27 at Churchill Downs, and finished fifth after briefly prompting the pace. On Saturday, he got to go seven furlongs - an addition of distance that figured to be in his wheelhouse. Patiently handled early by Dylan Davis, Sandman saved ground behind the pace, found an inside route into the upper stretch, edged his way to a half-length lead over the pacesetting Innovator, and drove clear to a 1 3/4-length victory. He finished the seven furlongs on a track rated fast after drying out overnight in 1:23.62.
"I was surprised he didn't run better first time, but I think he was just a little razzled," Casse said. "Today I said, 'Dylan, unless you catch a flyer, I want you to teach this horse to rate, because I have bigger plans for him.' "
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