Sandman closes the deal in Arkansas Derby; Quietside wins Fantasy duel

Mar 29, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Sandman rolls in the Arkansas Derby (Photo by Coady Media)

Jockey Jose Ortiz turned a big-race double at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, guiding Sandman to a breakthrough victory in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) and lifting the filly Quietside in the $750,000 Fantasy (G2).

Sandman had been knocking on the door on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the Tapit colt finally put it together to secure his spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. His 100-point windfall propels him to the top of the leaderboard with a total of 129 points.

One race earlier in the Fantasy, 3-5 favorite Quietside prevailed over 3-1 Simply Joking in what turned out to be a virtual match race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Quietside, who added 100 points to her account, now tops the Oaks leaderboard with 168 in all. Her victory established another record for owner/breeder John Ed Anthony at his home track. Already Oaklawn’s all-time leading owner, Anthony now has the most stakes wins (40) in Oaklawn’s storied history.

Arkansas Derby (G1)

Although Sandman broke his maiden last summer at Saratoga, the $1.2 million juvenile purchase has been a work in progress for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Fifth in the initial scoring race last fall, the Iroquois (G3), and a better third in the Street Sense (G3) back at Churchill Downs, Sandman tuned up for the Oaklawn series by capturing a Dec. 13 allowance. But a terrible start cost him dearly in the Southwest (G3), where he charged home second, and he rallied belatedly for third in the Rebel (G2).

Sandman switched jockeys for the Arkansas Derby and reunited with Ortiz, but he benefited most of all from an epic pace meltdown. Speed King was intent on living up to his name, and Bob Baffert’s flashy debut winner, 9-10 favorite Cornucopian, was also aggressive from the start. The two hooked up through unsustainable splits of :22.46 and :45.21, and they began to feel its effects by the six-furlong mark in 1:10.37.

Coal Battle, who had been biding his time back in third, appeared to be working out a trip very similar to his Rebel win. But as the gritty colt pounced on the far turn, Sandman was already shadowing his move.

Sandman rolled past Coal Battle down the lane, then still raced greenly when ducking out and having to be corrected. Meanwhile, the maiden Publisher offered a good-looking bid from farther back to keep things interesting, but Ortiz made sure that Sandman kept his mind on business.

Closing the deal by 2 1/2 lengths, the big gray covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.08. His scorecard now stands at 8-3-1-2, with a bankroll worth $1,254,595, for owners D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables.

Publisher, who had 4 1/2 lengths to spare over Coal Battle, picked up 50 points for a total of 60. Coal Battle took home 25 points in third, increasing his tally to 95. Cornucopian tired to fourth (15 points), and 117-1 longshot Brereton’s Baytown chugged in fifth (10 points). Speed King wilted to sixth in the strung-out field, trailed by Monet’s Magic, Bestfriend Rocket, and First Division.

Bred by the late Robert Lothenbach’s Lothenbach Stables in Kentucky, Sandman was sold at OBS March as part of the dispersal. He was produced by the Distorted Humor mare Distorted Music, making him a half-brother to Grade 3 vixen She Can’t Sing.

Fantasy (G2)

The John Ortiz-trained Quietside was coming off a score in the preceding local prep, the Feb. 26 Honeybee (G3), over the same 1 1/16-mile trip. Her form was boosted earlier on Saturday when the Honeybee runner-up, Five G, went on to capture the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).

Quietside’s leading rival, hitherto undefeated Simply Joking, had not raced since wiring the Jan. 18 Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds. That lack of recency may have told on Simply Joking as they battled down the length of the Oaklawn stretch.

Simply Joking got off to a faster start than Quietside and took charge early. Quietside moved up to prompt in second through fractions of :23.89, :48.09, and 1:12.10. Increasing the pressure turning for home, Quietside mounted an all-out challenge in the lane. The resilient Simply Joking refused to yield, but Quietside proved stronger.

Edging ahead by three-quarters of a length, Quietside clocked 1:44.31 while enhancing her record to 7-3-3-1, $957,200. The dark bay, who romped in her career debut at Saratoga, placed in the Spinaway (G1), Alcibiades (G1), Golden Rod (G2), and Martha Washington S. before gaining her first stakes laurel in the Honeybee.

Simply Joking lost no luster in suffering her first loss, pulling 8 3/4 lengths clear of her nearest pursuer. The runner-up earned 50 points to bring up her total to 70.

Runnin N Gunnin closed to finish a clear third (25 points for a total of 45). Next came Princess Em Too (15 points), Kinzie Queen (10 points), Princess Aliyah, California Sunset, Necessity, and Baytown Butterfly. Take Charge Milady was scratched.

A homebred for Anthony’s Shortleaf Stable, Quietside is out of the Speightstown mare Benner Island, whose signature win came in the 2017 Eight Belles (G2).