Sandman, a popular 4-year-old racehorse and former top Kentucky Derby contender, is set to make his season debut at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. Owned partly by social media personality Griffin Johnson and trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Sandman has a strong record at Oaklawn, including a win in last year’s Arkansas Derby. After a solid 3-year-old campaign where he finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness Stakes against some of the best horses of his generation, Sandman will now compete in “open company” races against older horses. He will be reunited with jockey Jose Ortiz and faces a competitive field including other Kentucky Derby alumni.

Fans have closely followed Sandman’s training despite recent weather delays, and he appears fit and ready to race in an allowance-optional claiming race with a $126,000 purse. If he performs well, he is expected to return to stakes competition. Meanwhile, Griffin Johnson’s other Derby prospects, Ewing and Curtain Call, have resumed training after a quiet start to their 3-year-old seasons, showing promise for the future even if they miss this year’s Kentucky Derby. Sandman’s upcoming race will be televised on FS2 and FanDuel TV, drawing significant interest from racing enthusiasts.