HOT SPRINGS (AR) – Assisted by a suicidal early pace battle between 4-5 favorite Cornucopian and Speed King, Sandman, the hard-luck 3-year-old of the Oaklawn season, surged as if shot from a slingshot to score a 2 ½-length win in Saturday’s $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1).

Owned by D J Stables and St Elias Stable West, Sandman collected the $810,000 winner’s share of the purse plus 100 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1). Sent off at 7-2, Sandman returned $9.40, $4.00 and $2.80. Publisher used similar tactics to pass all but one to finish second, 2 ½-lengths behind the winner but 4 ½-lengths in front of third-place finisher Coal Battle, who had won Oaklawn’s $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and $1.25 million Rebel Stakes.