Horse Racing

Preakness 2025 horse Sandman trainer, owner, jockey, record

by
Scoops
May 10, 2025

Run for Roses at Churchill Downs could use tweak

Sandman will enter the Preakness off a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby
Sandman trainer Mark Casse won the Preakness in 2019 with War of Will

Sandman is among the horses expected to enter the $2 million, Grade 1 Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

The post-position draw for the Preakness is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, May 12. Post time for the Preakness is set for approximately 7:01 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. NBC will provide live coverage from 4-7:30 p.m.

Preakness officials announced Tuesday that Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not compete in the race.

Sandman will enter the Preakness off a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Color: Gray/roan.

Bred in: Kentucky.

Sire: Tapit.

Dam: Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor.

Price tag: $1.2 million at 2024 Ocala Breeders’ March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Owners: D.J. Stable (Leonard Green); St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola); West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley); CJ Stables (Charles Sonson).

Trainer: Mark Casse.

Jockey: TBA.

Record: 3-1-2 in nine starts.

Career earnings: $1,254,595.

Last race: Seventh in Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Running style: Closer.

Notes: Casse won the Preakness in 2019 with War of Will. … Horse is named after the Metallica song, “Enter Sandman.” … Sandman won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 29 at Oaklawn Park before heading to the Kentucky Derby. … All three of Sandman’s out-of-the-money finishes have come at Churchill Downs.

What they’re saying: “I always quote Allen Jerkens, ‘Run ‘em when they’re good,’ and he’s good right now,” Casse said. “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.”

Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs by 1 ½ lengths over Journalism.

The next morning, Sovereignty trainer Bill Mott was asked if it would be a hard decision to skip the Preakness and responded, “No.”

“Over the years, people have realized that spacing these horses out a little bit gives you the opportunity to make them last a little longer,” Mott said. “We’re looking at a career, and you want the career to last more than five weeks.”

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.