Enter, Sandman .
The 2-year-old colt owned by D J Steady, St. Elias Steady, West Level Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables has an extended solution to go earlier than he reaches Mariano Rivera standing, however he confirmed the promise of an elite athlete in successful a maiden particular weight at Saratoga Race Course on July 11.
The son of Tapit was consigned by Tom McCrocklin as a part of the Lothenbach dispersal of horses of racing age at Fasig-Tipton in February, following the loss of life of Robert Lothenbach the earlier November. Although offered on the OBS March Sale of 2-year-olds in coaching, Sandman didn’t breeze for potential patrons, galloping as a substitute.
“When Mr. Lothenbach died,” mentioned McCrocklin, “there was a last-minute determination to place just about all of the horses within the 2-year-old gross sales. The mandate that I obtained from the property that they might not breeze. They might solely gallop. He was already damaged and in coaching, so potential patrons obtained to see him over the racetrack.”
Although the dearth of a velocity drill did not precisely deter patrons from bidding the colt as much as $1.2 million, McCrocklin suspects {that a} breeze may need pushed the worth even larger.Join BloodHorse Each day
“Name me loopy,” mentioned the consignor, “however I believe if we had breezed him, I am very assured that he would have introduced much more, perhaps double.”
The partnership that purchased him was clearly impressed sufficient by what they noticed, even with out the breeze, to go to seven figures for Sandman.
“He was simply so athletic-looking,” mentioned Tom Bellhouse, govt vice chairman of West Level Thoroughbreds. “Plus his pedigree and conformation, and you have to simply take a swing every now and then.”
“The horses have been offered with out reserves, and the Lothenbachs weren’t bidding,” mentioned McCrocklin. “So it was a real market worth scenario, and he offered very, very effectively. He was on everyone’s radar as a very nice colt with an enormous pedigree.”
Bred by Lothenbach Stables, Sandman is out of the Distorted Humor mare Distorted Music and a half brother to She Cannot Sing (Bernardini), the winner of the 2022 Chilukki Stakes (G3) who earned $883,558.
The grey/roan colt went instantly from the sale to coach Mark Casse’s Ocala, Fla., farm, the place he shortly made up for any misplaced coaching time.
“I might say inside 10 days, I breezed him,” mentioned Casse. “He is an athlete. Once I breezed him three-eights, he labored so good that I went to a half-mile, and he was simply growth, growth, growth. That is what good horses do.”
Photograph: Coglianese Images/Chelsea DurandSandman – MSW – SAR – 081024Sandman debuted at Churchill Downs in a six-furlong maiden particular weight, ending fifth as the favourite.
“I believe he obtained somewhat frazzled,” mentioned Casse. “Everybody he labored with, he ran away from. I do not put an entire lot of emphasis on the primary race. What occurs in coaching is totally different from what occurs on the racetrack. Each horse reacts in another way to kickback.”
He identified that one other of his 2-year-olds, And One Extra Time (Omaha Seashore ), completed seventh in her first begin, additionally at Churchill, additionally as the favourite, then got here again to win by 4 3/4 lengths at Saratoga Aug. 8.
Within the Saratoga race, Sandman broke from publish 2 underneath Dylan Davis and sat an ideal journey alongside the rail, coming across the last flip straight into open operating room, and cruised to the wire in 1:23.62 for seven furlongs.
“Only a good effort,” mentioned Bellhouse. “He stayed inside and took some filth, and he was so skilled.”
“He is a giant, elegant, long-striding horse, and I like what he did (at Saratoga),” mentioned McCrocklin. “They let him discover an early place and save floor, and he obtained into his stride and his rhythm, and he was very composed and measured on the finish. He is a correct horse with a shiny, shiny future.”
