METALLICA's JAMES HETFIELD Meets 'Sandman' Horse Ahead Of KENTUCKY DERBY

On Friday (May 2),METALLICA frontman James Hetfield met Sandman, a three-year-old horse whose name is a nod to the band's 1991 hit "Enter Sandman". The gray colt bred in Kentucky and trained by Mark Casse is one of 20 horses expected to enter this year's Kentucky Derby on Saturday (May 3) at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville.

Earlier this year, METALLICA donated shirts for the colt's barn crew. A post on the official Facebook page of the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago showed the workers at Casse's barn all wearing METALLICA t-shirts, with Sandman looking right at the camera.

"Shout out to METALLICA for outfitting the Casse barn with merch!" the post read.

"Enter Sandman" peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1991 and has gone on to become one of METALLICA's most popular songs.

According to The Sporting News, Jonathan Green, one of Sandman's owners, is a big fan of Hall Of Fame Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who famously used "Enter Sandman" when he entered games. Green named the horse Sandman with the hope that the horse can close races like Rivera closed games.

The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Inaugurated in 1875, the legendary 1.25-mile race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds is the longest continually held major sporting event in North America and the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown series. Also known as, The Run For The Roses and The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports, the Kentucky Derby is the most attended horse race in the nation.

This year marks the 151st Kentucky Derby.