Arkansas
Arkansas Derby Results: Sandman Lulls Opponents, Strikes Decisive Win
The Derby Break: The 87th Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 01, 2023 in Hot Springs. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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The aptly named Speed King, dueling with the more substantial Bob-Baffert-trained Cornucopian cracked open a bracing eight-plus-length lead on the pack, led by Coal Battle, up the backstretch. For his part, and for most of that way, Sandman was biding his time in the back of the nine-horse field. But at the top of the backstretch, it was clear that the duel was beginning to etch at the lead pair. Their splits had been blazing: 0:22.46, 0:45.21, and 1:10.37.
Sandman’s delighted trainer Mark Casse said this after the race: “The farther they went, the more confident I was.”
In the far turn, Jockey Jose Ortiz wheeled Sandman swiftly past the pack and, heading a bit wide at the top of the stretch with not a little dirt covering them from all that time in the rear, Ortiz and Sandman switched on the afterburners. Speed King was entirely out of fuel, but his dueling partner, the Baffert-trained and highly touted Cornucopian, though fading, nevertheless stuck in the running with a certain grit.
Ortiz and Sandman hit the line two-and-a-half lengths in front of Publisher, who showed admirable kick in separating himself from the peloton and working up in behind Sandman. The tough Coal Battle held on to show. For his part, Cornucopian managed to keep his grip on fourth, earning himself and Baffert a mere 15 points toward a stall in the Kentucky gate.
Although Sandman was a known talent, hence his 3-1 odds, and will now be put under every possible analyst’s microscope prior to the Kentucky Derby, in a sense he pulled off a slight upset. For the moment, Sandman leads the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 129 points. The extremely lightly-raced Cornucopian had gone off as the strong 8-5 favorite, with Baffert and the connections hoping for the hundred-point hit. The far more experienced Sandman simply did what he thought he should do — relax, tuck into a good position, and strike hard down the lane. Put a different way, Sandman looked like he was well ready for the one-and-a-quarter miles in Kentucky a month from now.
Adding to the fun, Sandman paid $9.40, Publisher paid $6.20, and Coal Battle paid $3.00. The athleticism was, as it is in in all of racing, breathtaking, but more impressive was the tactical prowess of the victor.
Temperatures will climb to the upper 90s today and heat index values will get close to 105° this afternoon. There are heat advisories today for part of west and southwest Arkansas.
Today will bring a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms late in the day in Central Arkansas.
Friday will also bring a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms with very hot weather.
Rain chances increase and temperatures drop this weekend when a cold front moves through Arkansas.
Arkansas
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A former Arkansas Tech University graduate and commander of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command is being remembered with two posthumous honors recognizing his lasting influence on the nation’s military intelligence operations.
The late Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston, a 1987 Arkansas Tech graduate and Russellville native, was honored during a dedication ceremony June 25 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where the Army officially named a newly consolidated military intelligence complex the Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility.
Johnston also was posthumously inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame for helping reshape Army intelligence through the integration of emerging technologies, including big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The new facility serves as a central hub for U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) operations at Fort Huachuca, known as the “Home of Army Intelligence.” It houses some of the Army’s most critical intelligence personnel and brings together units that had previously operated from aging buildings spread across the installation.
Army officials said the previous arrangement created operational challenges, including limited secure workspaces, outdated infrastructure and additional security requirements. Beginning in 2018, INSCOM launched an effort to consolidate those missions by renovating two existing buildings into a 16,300-square-foot intelligence operations center designed to improve collaboration and security.
The facility now houses INSCOM G3’s Detachment 52, elements of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, representatives from the Ground Intelligence Support Activity, an emerging Foundry program element and other intelligence organizations.
Among those attending the dedication were Johnston’s wife, Brig. Gen. Amy Johnston, daughter Lauren Woodworth and granddaughter Arabella Woodworth.
Maj. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, said the building represents more than a new workplace.
“As we dedicate the U.S. Army INSCOM Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility, we do more than just open a new facility… we consecrate a tribute to his indelible legacy,” Cox said. “This facility will stand as a constant reminder of his service, his vision and his unwavering commitment to our nation and to the soldiers he led. It will inspire future generations of intelligence professionals to emulate his example of leadership and selfless service.”
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kevin Boughton, former INSCOM command chief warrant officer, said Johnston envisioned closer collaboration between the Army’s intelligence training and operational communities.
Boughton said Johnston believed the distance between the Intelligence Center of Excellence and INSCOM’s operational units “shouldn’t be measured in miles,” but instead by “a seamless flow of data, doctrine, and talent” where operational experience and institutional knowledge move freely between soldiers in the field and those training the next generation.
Johnston graduated from Russellville High School in 1983 before earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Arkansas Tech in 1987. Through the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, he received his commission as a U.S. Army officer.
During a military career spanning more than 34 years, Johnston served in command and staff assignments ranging from platoon level to senior leadership within the Army and Department of Defense. He deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
In 2015, Johnston became the seventh graduate of Arkansas Tech’s Army ROTC program to attain the rank of general officer. He was promoted to major general in 2017.
He concluded his military career as commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, overseeing approximately 17,500 personnel operating in more than 40 countries.
Army leaders credited Johnston with helping modernize military intelligence by laying the groundwork for the establishment of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, which was formally created in 2022 after his retirement. He also led development of what became the Army Intelligence Data Platform, designed to incorporate advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning into intelligence operations while supporting future large-scale combat operations.
Johnston also promoted data science education within the military intelligence community by partnering with George Mason University to provide specialized training for Army warrant officers.
Colleagues remembered Johnston not only for his strategic vision but also for his leadership style. Despite working in one of the Army’s most demanding operational environments, they described him as a source of humor, kindness and encouragement whose focus remained on the soldiers, civilians and contractors carrying out the intelligence mission.
Johnston retired from active duty in 2021 and died in January 2022.
His latest recognitions add to previous honors from his alma mater. Johnston was a member of the inaugural Arkansas Tech Army ROTC Hall of Honor in 2017 and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Distinction in 2019.
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