Albertrani, Sadler's Joy aiming for second Sword Dancer

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Sadler’s Joy won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer in 2017, trainer Tom Albertrani had jockey Julien Leparoux aboard for the horse’s final work. Coincidence or not, Albertrani, who rarely uses jockeys to work his horses, had Jose Lezcano aboard Sadler’s Joy when he had his final work for Saturday’s Grade 1, $850,000 Sword Dancer.

Lezcano will ride Sadler’s Joy in the Sword Dancer, replacing Javier Castellano, who will be riding Annals of Time for Chad Brown.

Sadler’s Joy on Sunday went a half-mile in 51.62 seconds, with a final quarter in 25.78. Lezcano rode Sadler’s Joy in his second career start, June 12, 2016, when he finished seventh.

“I wanted him to reconnect with him,” Albertrani said. “His breezes up here have been very good.”

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Sadler’s Joy has only raced once this year, finishing sixth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Channel Cat in the Grade 2 Bowling Green.

“His last race he definitely was a bit unlucky,” Albertrani said. “He got trapped down on the inside. It could have been a different outcome if he could’ve got out earlier.”

While the Bowling Green had a 12-horse field, only six horses are expected in the Sword Dancer, which offers a fees-paid berth into the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Others expected include Annals of Time, Channel Cat, Channel Maker, Noble Thought, and Ya Primo.