James Hetfield Meets Horse Named After Metallica Classic at the Kentucky Derby

Metallica frontman James Hetfield has met the real-life Sandman – a young racehorse named after the band’s iconic track.

Metallica frontman James Hetfield made an unexpected appearance at this year’s Kentucky Derby. Not to perform, but to meet a horse named after one of the band’s biggest tracks.

The horse in question is Sandman, a three-year-old gray colt named in tribute to Metallica’s 1991 mega-hit Enter Sandman. Hetfield met the thoroughbred on Friday, May 2, at Churchill Downs, just ahead of the Derby festivities.

Trained by racing legend Mark Casse, Sandman didn’t get his name from the song directly. One of the horse’s owners, Jonathan Green, is a devoted fan of Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera – who famously used Enter Sandman as his entrance music. The name was chosen in hopes the horse could bring the same kind of game-closing energy to the track.

Metallica were clearly flattered by the tribute. Earlier this year, the band sent a care package loaded with merch to the crew at Casse’s barn — who, naturally, responded by rocking Metallica tees and posting about it on the official Kentucky Derby Facebook page. A full-circle moment that even included the caption: “Shout out to Metallica for outfitting the Casse barn with merch!”

Hetfield’s meet-and-greet with Sandman is the latest in a string of moments that prove Metallica’s influence doesn’t stop at stadiums – it’s crossing into starting gates too.