Red Smith favorite has habit of finishing second and third

The 800-pound gorilla in the Red Smith Stakes has a case of seconditis.

Six-year-old Sadler’s Joy surely has been a wonderful horse for his breeder and owner, Woodslane Farm, to campaign. He’s twice made it to the Breeders’ Cup Turf, finishing fourth in 2017 and third in 2018, and won the Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer in August 2017.

But Sadler’s Joy has not brought much joy to those who bet him to win. There’s no doubt the horse has solid Grade 1 credentials, but he rides a 10-race losing streak into Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Red Smith. Sadler’s Joy has won just twice in his last 17 races and has a habit of finishing second or third in races he might have won.

His 2019 campaign, which didn’t begin until July, has brought more of the same – a second by a neck to Annals of Time in the Sword Dancer and a third by a half-length in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Annals of Time has elite talent when sound, and there’s no shame in losing to him. In the Joe Hirsch, Sadler’s Joy raced just off a slow pace, and he does his best work making sustained runs from well off the lead.

Bettors might take heart considering those circumstances and the return of jockey Javier Castellano. The 11 furlongs of the Red Smith suits Sadler’s Joy, and this is his first start down at the Grade 3 level since January 2017. Yet Sadler’s Joy is the 8-5 morning-line favorite, a short price on a horse with powerful herd instincts, especially in a race with plenty of interesting options.

Red Knight is 6-1 on the morning line and holds appeal at a price like that. His connections thought they had a horse for the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup in June, but after a strong prep race for the Gold Cup, where Red Knight was second to high-level performer Bigger Picture, Red Knight finished fifth in the Gold Cup, and his form went south for the summer after that. He finished 12th in the Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga, was beaten in an off-turf race, then was fifth facing New York-breds at a distance shorter than his best. But Red Knight rebounded nicely to capture the $102,000 Point of Entry going 1 1/2 miles on Oct. 13 and has since shown trainer Bill Mott positive signs.

“I was a little bit concerned with the results of a couple races over the summer, but as it turns out he’s come back around and he’s doing well,” Mott said. “He’s coming off a good race and he’s training well. He actually kind of looks a little better now than he looked over the summer. He’s carrying good weight and just looks better.”

Marzo is the latest in a long line of turf horses claimed by trainer Mike Maker and turned into stakes winners. Taken out of a $62,500 claimer in August, Marzo was stretched out to 1 1/2 miles (a notoriously successful Maker move) to win the Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland last out, and as a 4-year-old with only eight turf races, only one of which has come beyond 1 1/16 miles, Marzo brims with upside.

Nakamura, another 4-year-old, this one trained by Graham Motion, was a mildly troubled second in the Sycamore and also rates a chance Saturday.

There appears to be plenty of pace in the Red Smith, with rail drawn Tiz a Slam sure to go forward along with Red Right Hand and Glorious Empire. Who knows what sort of trip French import Petit Fils will pull in his U.S. debut since he has led and come from last in his overseas races this year.