Sandman

Journalism (Curlin), winner of last weekend's GI Santa Anita Derby, moved to the top of Week 11's rankings of the 2025 NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). Two-for-two this season, this year's GII San Felipe winner concluded the period with 269 points and 26 first-place votes by members of the national media. Racing performances run through Apr. 6. Journalism stands well ahead of GI Arkansas Derby scorer Sandman (Tapit), who has amassed 209 points. Heading the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, last season's champion...

In racing, the advent of spring doesn't just mean delightful weather and foals capering through fields. It also means a multiplication of the number of graded events across the nation. The month of March boasted more graded races in the U.S. than January and February combined. With GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks preps in full swing, top older campaigners returning from winter breaks, and 2-year-old racing just around the corner, it's an exciting time in the sport. We took a look at trends and notable items from the country's graded...

It's the busiest time of the year for Len Green of the Green Group, a tax consulting service specializing in the horse racing industry. With Apr. 15 approaching, he probably should have stayed home in New Jersey to work. Then again, when you are the part-owner of a horse that looks to be bound for the GI Kentucky Derby, all bets are off. Green couldn't stay away as 3-year-old Sandman (Tapit) faced eight others in the GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. The trip was worth it as Green was...

Len Green was this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week on the TDN Writers' Room, joining us to discuss his GI Arkansas Derby winner Sandman and share some tips on how to save money on taxes.

A week after we saluted the impact of his daughters on the GI Kentucky Derby trail, suddenly Tapit might also have found a colt to redress the one glaring omission on his resume. At the same time, the emergence of Sandman also contributes to a remarkable reciprocation by a still more venerable distaff influence. Tapit mares having produced American Promise, Tiztastic and Final Gambit across consecutive weekends, Distorted Humor is plainly not to be outdone. Both the big winners last Saturday were out of daughters of the WinStar legend; moreover...

If you want a historical prognosticator for success in the GI Kentucky Derby, you can't do much better than running well in the GI Florida Derby. The premier stakes for sophomores at Gulfstream Park has been around since 1952, and in 73 renewals, Florida Derby participants have gone on to win that year's Kentucky Derby 25 times-a better than 1-in-3 strike rate. For perspective, the next-most-productive preps are two far older races, the GI Champagne Stakes (which dates to 1867) and the GI Blue Grass Stakes (first run in 1911),...

Travel plans for the GI Arkansas Derby runners are taking shape as top two Sandman (Tapit) and Publisher (American Pharoah) are scheduled to make the move to Churchill Monday. Positive prognoses abound Sunday as trainers prepared their charges for the haul to Churchill Downs ahead of the final preparations for the first Saturday in May. Sandman relished not only the added distance, as his dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse predicted, but also the meteoric pace up front courtesy of Cornucopian (Into Mischief) and Speed King (Volatile). His preliminary...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark--With 100 points to be deposited into their 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' account if they had the grit to take the GI Arkansas Derby, Sandman (Tapit) got his zzzs early in the race, then emerged from his power nap, rested and ready to face the rush hour. A maiden-breaker at second asking back at the Spa in early August, the colt ran through the initial portion of the Derby Trail in the fall where he was fifth in the GIII Iroquois Stakes and then third in the...

We've taken the plunge into the deeper end of the prep pool for the GI Kentucky Derby. Five nine-furlong stakes each awarding 100 qualifying points are scheduled over the next two Saturdays, after which this list will expand to the Top 20. 1) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief--No Joke, by Distorted Humor) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history:...

Bob Baffert has found himself in a familiar position as he once again brings a well-met runner into Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby with all the buzz behind him, this time in the form of 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief), who has been made the 7-5 morning line favorite from the nine hole. Fresh off an unveiling which garnered the stamp of approval from the TDN, and stopped the clock in a six-furlong maiden special in an eye-catching 1:09.02--the fastest by a 3-year-old in Oaklawn history--the son of Into Mischief...

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale marks a full decade as an open auction when it begins its three-day run Tuesday afternoon and, with a well-attended under-tack show last week followed by a busy weekend of showing, consignors are optimistic demand will be high for the first juvenile sale of the season. The sale, originally slated to begin at 11 a.m. Mar. 11, will now get going at 1 p.m. to allow horsemen more time in the wake of the consolidated under tack show....

Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) scored one for the little guy Sunday at Oaklawn Park, overtaking pacesetting California invader Madaket Road (Quality Road) in upper stretch and leaving favored Sandman (Tapit) in his wake while striding home a 1 1/4-length winner of the GII Rebel Stakes. Sandman, who famously broke in a tangle before finishing a valiant second in the GIII Southwest Stakes a month ago, had most of the eyes on him as he broke professionally Sunday, but was unhurried and settled well off the pace as Madaket...