Sandman Ships to Saratoga to Prepare For Jim Dandy

D.J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables' grade 1-winner Sandman, last seen finishing third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, shipped from Belmont Park to Saratoga Race Course May 26 to prepare for a start in the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2). Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said the Tapit colt is likely to add blinkers as he prepares for the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy July 26 as part of a Spa summer campaign he hopes will include the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 23. "He left for Saratoga this morning," Casse said. "I wanted to give him a little bit of time. He ran all winter long and I knew when we decided to run him back in the Preakness that the Belmont was going to be out of the question." Sandman made the grade with a rallying 2 1/2-length score—despite lugging out sharply down the lane—in the nine-furlong Arkansas Derby (G1) in March at Oaklawn Park. He then contested the first two legs of the Triple Crown, finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1) over a sloppy and sealed Churchill Downs main track. Last out, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, he closed from last-of-nine and 12 lengths off the pace to finish a 2 3/4-length third to the victorious Journalism. "I thought he ran well. He was caked in mud after the race. He struggled to keep his eyes open. When we scoped him afterwards, he had half the Pimlico racetrack in his trachea," Casse said. "Johnny said he thought he lost focus a little. I'll probably put blinkers on him for the Jim Dandy because he has done some wandering down the stretch." Sandman graduated last August at the Spa, edging away to a 1 3/4-length win in a seven-furlong maiden sprint at second asking. "As a 2-year-old, the best race he ran was at Saratoga. So, my plan is to try and run in the Jim Dandy and get him ready for the Travers," Casse said. Sandman has banked in excess of $1.4 million via a 3-1-3 record from 10 starts. Colloquial Pointing to Woody Stephens at Saratoga Harrell Ventures and Starlight Racing's promising stakes-winner Colloquial worked five furlongs in 1:03.25 May 22 over Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) June 7 at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Trained by George Weaver, the son of his dual grade 1-winning pupil, Vekoma, was last seen winning the seven-furlong Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland April 7. There, he showed a new dimension when setting the pace after two solid efforts from off-the-pace, including an eye-catching seven-length graduation at Aqueduct Racetrack sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at second asking. "We've been happy with him," Weaver said. "We've been waiting for this race for a long time, and now we're getting close." Weaver said the chestnut's versatility is the mark of a top-level horse. "Good horses are (versatile), and they can adjust to situations," Weaver said. "He's talented, so luckily he's good enough to have that versatility. I don't think he's tied to any one way of running. I'm sure this will be a competitive race, but I wouldn't trade places with anybody."