Sandman Hopes To Keep It Simple In The Jim Dandy Stakes

Here is a valid question. Do we often times over think when it comes to sports? The essence of competition is really very simple. All one has to do is simply be better than the opposition, case closed. For a beautifully marked Thoroughbred, a simple approach is exactly what he hopes to execute in the grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on July 26.

Sandman is a beautiful gray colt that inherited the good looks from his father. This son of Tapit has displayed a big turn of foot down the lane during his ten-race career that has at times looked as handsome as he. Trained by the fabulously successful Mark Casse, a simple approach will be taken as he takes on a short but very talented field in the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.

“We just want him to run a good race’, says Casse, who has 4,000 wins as a trainer in North America. “He will be coming in off a little bit of a break and we are going to add blinkers in an effort to help him focus. Sometimes adding blinkers can backfire, but we just want to try and keep his mind on just simply running his race.”

Sandman’s last start was a closing third place finish in the Preakness on May 17. Prior to that was a troubled seventh in the Kentucky Derby. But before running for the roses, this grandson of Distorted Humor was very impressive in winning the Arkansas Derby. Chasing a hot pace over the Oaklawn dirt, Sandman closed with authority and was 2 ½ lengths clear despite wandering about in the stretch.

“The Arkansas Derby was a great race for him”, says Casse. “Everything went well and he had a nice pace in front of him. He had a really good trip and showed some of his potential. He will not have that kind of pace in the Jim Dandy, but the field will be a lot smaller.”

The Jim Dandy, which was inaugurated in 1964, will feature only five runners, but oh my what a lineup. Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont champ headlines the group. Also included is West Coast phenom Baeza who was third in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, Mo Plex, recent winner of the Ohio Derby and a two-time stakes victor at Saratoga, and Hill Road, the Peter Pan Stakes champ.

“The Jim Dandy gives us an opportunity to really see where Sandman is in this three-year-old division”, says Casse. “We hope we have a young talent on the rise. He has given us those indications and the good news is he ran really great in winning in his only start at Saratoga as a two-year old.”

The Jim Dandy is considered one of the major preps for the Travers Stakes, also run at Saratoga. Carded as race 10 with an expected post time of 5:41 eastern, the Dandy offers $500,000 in prize money. The Travers will be contested on August 23 with a purse of $1.25 million.

Sandman currently has three wins, one second, and three thirds in ten lifetime starts with career earnings in excess of $1.47 million. Jose Ortiz will ride as the Sandman breaks from post two.