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TAPIT Colt Punches Kentucky Derby (G1) Ticket In Arkansas Derby (G1)

March 29, 2025

It was a 33rd Grade 1 winner for the legendary TAPIT on Saturday when his son Sandman won the Arkansas Derby (G1) to secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on the first Saturday in May.

Hitting the board in both of Oaklawn Park’s earlier Kentucky Derby preps, trainer Mark Casse had Sandman ready to roll in this 1 1/8-mile event. A pair of runners opened up multiple lengths on the field by the time they hit the first turn while Sandman took the opposite approach as one of the back markers.

Sandman had only two horses beat after the first half mile with the two leaders about 10 lengths on the rest of the field. The gray started moving closer as they reached the far turn and quickly caught the leaders alongside Coal Battle at the top of the stretch.

After taking the lead in the final furlong, Sandman momentarily got distracted but Jose Ortiz quickly got his attention back. By the time they hit the line, Sandman was 2 1/2 lengths in front to register his third career victory and take his earnings to $1,254,595.

Placed in three stakes before this race, Sandman races for D.J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables. That group teamed up last year to purchase him for $1.2 million at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training.

Hailing from the Lothenbach Stables breeding program, Sandman is a half-brother to the Grade 3 winning She Can’t Sing and the dam of stakes placed Curahee. Their three-time winning dam Distorted Music was fourth in a stakes and is a half-sister to Grade 3 placed Zinzay.

Under Sandman’s third dam are Grade 1 winners Music Note, Mystic Guide, and Musical Chimes.

This is the same TAPIT x Distorted Humor cross that produced TAPIT’s Florida Derby (G1) and Donn H. (G1) winner Constitution among seven stakes performers from 28 runners.

This is the second Arkansas Derby (G1) winner for TAPIT, whose other was Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Creator.