Sadler's Joy back in friendly territory for Tiller Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – When last seen in New York, Sadler’s Joy won the Grade 3 Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct, ending a 10-race losing streak.

The 7-year-old Sadler’s Joy, winner of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer in 2017, is back in New York where next Thursday he will run in the $80,000 Tiller Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Belmont Park.

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On Thursday morning, Sadler’s Joy worked a half-mile in 50.78 seconds over the Belmont main track, his first local drill since returning from South Florida.

Sadler’s Joy has run twice this year, finishing sixth of 12 in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida, both at Gulfstream Park.

“I thought we were a little unlucky in the Pegasus Turf,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “He got shut off pretty good leaving the gate. Last race, he got pinched on the turn. With him, it’s always about getting a good trip.”

Sadler’s Joy, a four-time graded stakes winner and earner of $2.5 million, earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure when he was third to Zulu Alpha in the Mac Diarmida. It was his 16th triple-digit Beyer.

“From what I can tell, he looks like he’s still got something left and we’ll keep going until he shows us different,” Albertrani said.

Despite its ungraded status and $80,000 pot, the Tiller is expected to attract a talented field that could include Apreciado, Channel Maker, Corelli, Cross Border, Dot Matrix, Go Poke the Bear, Hayabusa One, He’s No Lemon, Highland Sky, and Standard Deviation.