Photo:

Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire

A seven-figure son of super sire Tapit is heading to the first seven-figure race of the 2024-25 Oaklawn meeting.

Sandman, winner of a sharp optional-claiming allowance Friday at Oaklawn, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 25, trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday.

Sandman received a career-high 97 Equibase Speed Figure for his 1 3/4-length victory under Cristian Torres. Racing over a fast track, favored Sandman covered one mile in a meet-best 1:38.71 and paid $5.20 to win. It was his second start around two turns and fifth start overall.

“I thought he took to the two turns,” Casse said. “It was more about him being able to run into the bit a little bit and to take hold of him. Obviously, early on, those shorter races, you’re always kind of hustling and I don’t think he likes that. Even when we did run him the two turns, in the Street Sense, I felt like that he still was always trying to play catch up and never really got into a nice rhythm.”

Sandman was exiting a third-place finish in the 8 1/2-furlong Street Sense Stakes (G3) on Oct. 27 at Churchill Downs. The Street Sense marked the two-turn debut for Sandman, who broke his maiden at seven furlongs Aug. 10 at Saratoga. Sandwiched around the maiden victory were fifth-place finishes in his June 27 debut at six furlongs and the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at one mile Sept. 14. Both races were at Churchill Downs.

Sandman was purchased for $1.2 million at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Sandman is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner She Can’t Sing, who earned $883,558 in her career.

Casse described Sandman as a “beautiful horse,” a “beautiful mover” and possessing a “wonderful attitude.”

“From the day we got him, obviously, he cost a lot of money, but he’s impressed me,” Casse said. “I always kind of came away from every race wanting more or expecting more, but I thought that race the other day was more what I think he is capable of and now he’s just got to build on it. If he can build on it, you’ll be hearing his name a lot more.”

The Southwest, raised to seven figures for the first time after previously being worth $800,000, is Oaklawn’s second of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races. The 2024 Southwest winner, Mystik Dan, captured the Kentucky Derby.

The Southwest will offer 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers. Sandman collected four points for his finishes in the Iroquois and Street Sense.