A unique buzz is created on the Pimlico Race Course backstretch each May as racing's biggest names—D. Wayne Lukas, Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, just to name a few—share one barn ahead of the Preakness Stakes (G1). It's the kind of experience of which any fan of racing would dream; seeing a star in every direction.
Pimlico's Sunrise Tours offers the racing fan this experience, and one of the most popular characters on that tour before the May 17 race is Arkansas Derby (G1) winner and Preakness entrant Sandman. The gray colt's popularity is not just because of his striking good looks, but also thanks to the hard work and dedication of Griffin Johnson, who has turned the son of Tapit into an internet superstar.
Johnson, a social media influencer with more than 14 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and X, has been a popular attraction on the backstretch himself. Each morning he can be found taking photos with fans, being interviewed by the media, and even receiving gifts like a hand-drawn image of Sandman.
However, it's not just the tour guests who have taken a chance to introduce themselves to Johnson, but also many members of the industry. Most, if not all, have expressed an iteration of the same phrase to Johnson when they first meet him: "Thank you for all you've done for the industry."
"I'm really appreciative of everyone that comes up and says that because everyone here is who I'm trying to speak for," Johnson said. "I just want to always make sure that I'm doing that with the most respect and grace that I can."
Johnson is a newcomer to the Thoroughbred industry, but he already has made a huge impact. As a 2.5% stakeholder of Sandman (which Johnson says equates to one hoof) through America's Best Racing's "A Stake in Stardom" influencer ownership initiative and West Point Thoroughbreds, Johnson took his massive audience—which contains a large percentage of viewers in the 16-28 age range—on the journey from the colt's debut in June 2024 to his seventh-place finish in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1).
From March 20-May 5, Johnson made 51 social media posts (not including Snapchat or Instagram stories) relating to Sandman and the Derby. Those posts received more than 212.2 million impressions, 3.3 million engagements, and 35 million views. In addition, Johnson appeared in numerous articles and made appearances on television, radio, podcasts, and digital streams.
Additionally, ABR recorded the most impactful two-week stretch in the company's history leading into the Derby thanks to Johnson. ABR saw a 586% increase in impressions, 311% increase in engagements, and 545% increase in video views. Only about a third of its 503 posts were about Johnson or Sandman, showing how the impact carried over to the Derby as a whole.
That attention brought a new audience to America's biggest race, contributing to a record $349 million in wagering and the largest television audience for the race since 1989.
READ: Record Derby Success Could 'Influence' Racing's Future
"When you look at the sport itself, the only thing holding it back from being one of the most popular sports in the world is the industry itself. It's always been slow to adapt its marketing," Johnson said. "As I've peeled it back, I've understood the reason why there's been so much setback on bringing it to the masses. People want to make sure that the people getting into the sport are here for the right reasons."
Johnson's entry into the industry is a breath of fresh air and shows that social media could be a primary marketing tool to bring in a new, younger audience.
"If you use (social media) well, it's going to change the trajectory of the sport for the future. Just bringing in the right people and having class about it. Bringing in the right influencers and being tasteful about it is the key."
Johnson's Rise in Social Media
The man fueling what has become one of the sport's biggest marketing success stories comes from humble beginnings. Growing up in Paris, Ill., which has a population just more than 8,000, Johnson grew up baling hay and alfalfa on local farms. He didn't work a lot with livestock, but was always around them and developed a love for animals.
In 2019, while attending Indiana State University as a nursing student, Johnson heard about a new app called TikTok where you could create videos and, potentially, make a bit of cash.
"I was broke," Johnson said of his college years. "I heard you could make money and I said, 'Sign me up.'"
Signing up ultimately changed Johnson's life in a way he likely never would have imagined. Posting videos showing a "day in the life" of a nursing student, Johnson's following quickly grew to a million followers in late 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the following spring, when TikTok began to grow in popularity among the general public, Johnson and a few friends he made in the social media world moved to Los Angeles and got a house together where they could film content.
"It was basically just a group of guys that got together and filmed content every day," Johnson said. "The dynamics, our friendships, how we were getting through life during COVID. The kids connected with that because no one could leave their house."
The connection to his audience grew Johnson's following even further, allowing him to have different opportunities to experience the things he enjoyed. He shared them with his followers as an influencer. The term influencer gets thrown around a lot on those who have a career in social media, often bringing a negative connotation. Griffin said he has no problem being called an influencer, or as racing has dubbed him: The Influencer.
"There's a difference, there's creators and there's influencers," Johnson explained while stating that 99.9% of people that post online are creators. "The difference comes down to an entrepreneurial mindset and doing what's actually authentic to you. You're not posting just for the views and the clicks, but doing what you actually like and making good stories. That's hard to find."
His audience has seen his authentic enjoyment of racing and accepted Johnson's passion for the sport. Many of his posts around Derby time received comments from followers that stated they watched their first Kentucky Derby thanks to Johnson and Sandman. Over his six years as an influencer, Johnson said the transition into racing content was the easiest for his fanbase, which showed a general curiosity about the industry.
"I've done a lot of different verticals throughout the years. I experienced a lot of different things that I found interesting," Johnson said. "Horse racing has been the easiest conversion from my audience that appreciates what I do day to day. Before I was doing this, it was just day-to-day lifestyle content and things with my girlfriend. People really loved it. It just comes down to me being truly passionate about it. I didn't throw (the racing content) and slap it in people's face. I was showing exactly what I was doing and why I love it. Sandman made that extra easy."
Enter Sandman
The star of the show, Sandman, has been one of Johnson's best stories told yet. His involvement with the horse is thanks to a man named Marshall Sandman, who co-founded a venture capital fund called Animal Capital with Johnson and a few other influencers. Sandman was friends with Ali Finley, daughter-in-law of West Point Thoroughbreds' president and CEO Terry Finley.
At the 2024 Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, West Point partnered with D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, and CJ Stables to buy a gray or roan son of Tapit for $1.2 million. They named the colt Sandman after the Metallica song "Enter Sandman," making Ali Finley think of Marshall Sandman and his connection to influencers. Soon, Johnson was connected with ABR.
"They were anticipating him to be a special horse. They wanted him to be marketed and do something special for the sport," Johnson recalled. "The sport, I saw it had a lot to offer. There's a lot of good things about it that people don't always get to see. That's what got me so passionate about showing it."
Johnson's only racetrack experience at that point had been a trip to Horseshoe Indianapolis when he was younger. Being from the Midwest and just three hours from Churchill Downs made racing an industry he was interested to learn more about.
"What intrigued me in the beginning was being a part of something that I always heard about: the Kentucky Derby," Johnson said. "The other aspect was—the West Point crew, ABR crew, and everyone—was so excited and passionate about helping me get my start. You don't get that everywhere.
"To have people that are successful opening up their arms and wanting your help and guiding you through it, that's what really got me. I'm surrounded by actually good people."
That was an early introduction to what Johnson would come to love most about the industry as he began his journey with Sandman in the summer of 2024.
"I feel like I've spent my whole life trying to be the best person I can be to everyone around me, taking time to talk to anyone I can or help out where I can," Johnson said. "I feel like life doesn't always reward that behavior. A lot of good people that do a lot of good things don't always get to shine.
"Horse racing is an industry for people that have passion and dedication to actually be recognized. All the people in here have so much heart and drive for what they do. It's the only industry I've ever been in in my life where being a good person is truly rewarded. That's what's special to me."
Of course, a big part of the decision to get involved came from Sandman himself.
"When you see him, he's got something about him that just drew me in and I figured, why not take a chance?" Johnson said. "I saw an industry that had a lot of passion and could use a little bit of help on the marketing side, and I figured we could go on a good run."
Staying in Racing for the Long Haul
Any assumption that Johnson is in the game purely for the views would be wildly uneducated. Some may expect an influencer to put on a smile while they film a quick video, then turn off the camera and go home without a second thought. Instead, it's the complete opposite.
Johnson has fully embraced the industry as his own. After a busy morning of watching training and greeting plenty of new people, Johnson can still be found hanging around the barn late in the afternoon. Now living in Florida, he makes trips to Gulfstream Park to enjoy the racing without creating any content. In fact, he is missing a close friend's wedding Saturday in order to cheer Sandman on in the Preakness.
"Sorry, Mads, I still love you," Johnson said. "I just couldn't not be here (at Pimlico). They're both once in a lifetime, but I want to be in the horse racing industry for a really long time. You can only earn their respect by putting in your time and earning your stripes.
"A lot of people have been giving me a hard time about the ownership and not putting in your dues. I can't argue that because I didn't. But what I will say is, that's been the most meaningful 2.5% of anything I've ever had."
Although he may not have put in his dues before acquiring a Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner as his first horse, he is paying his dues as he prepares for a future in the industry. He plans to continue working with West Point and own more horses.
"We'll see if I can keep my record as good as it is," Johnson joked. "I'll probably be chasing this for a really long time."
He also is looking forward to continuing to learn horsemanship from Sandman's trainer Mark Casse, a Hall of Famer in both the United States and Canada.
"The biggest thing about Mark, what he's taught me that's made my journey so much more special, is he really cares about the horses," Johnson said. "He is a man that speaks his mind, and he always has a good point to make, and it's always to move the industry forward or think about the horses.
"I want to start working on my own practice of training and just getting into where I can really be in the mix and I can start doing everything with the horses. Hopefully, if I get another Derby runner, (my audience) can watch from start to finish and I'll be the one helping do it all. That's my dream. That's what I hope I can do."
Unfortunately for Johnson, Sandman's racing career won't last forever. Fortunately for racing, that won't be the end of Johnson's involvement. He plans to continue covering the behind-the-scenes of horse racing, with a specific passion for Thoroughbred aftercare.
"I'm really passionate about that, showing how these horses can be retrained and given completely different lives," Johnson said. "Shining light on that so people know about these programs."
Whether Sandman wins or loses the Preakness, it is likely that Johnson will continue to receive the same walk-up praise as he travels from track to track across the country and across the world, conversations that he welcomes so that he can continue to meet everyone that is touched by the sport.
"I felt like I spent my whole life looking to be appreciated by going the extra mile and putting in the extra work," Johnson said. "This is the first time that I felt that; so that's kudos to everyone in the industry in the sport, that's kudos to the horses and I think it's the perfect testimony for anyone looking to get in.
"If you want to be around good people and you want to do good things and follow your dreams, this is the spot. We're all dreamers and we're all trying to get something done."
