Sadler's Joy drills for Breeders' Cup Turf

ELMONT, N.Y. – Grade 1 winner Sadler’s Joy worked five furlongs in 1:01.72 on Monday morning over the Belmont Park main track in preparation for a start in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Tom Albertrani said he wanted a sharp work for Sadler’s Joy, which is why he asked jockey Javier Castellano to come and breeze him. Sadler’s Joy went his first three furlongs in 36.50 seconds and his last quarter in 25.22 while galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.03. Sadler’s Joy did have his head cocked a little looking at the grandstand coming to the wire.

“I thought he went well, it was a nice work for him,” said Albertrani, who added that Castellano told him “when he started him off he thought he was a little aggressive then he settled and did everything easy.”

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Sadler’s Joy, who finished fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, is only 1 for 7 this year, the win coming in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream. He was beaten less than a length in the Man o’ War and Manhattan – both Grade 1’s – as well as the Grade 2 Bowling Green. He finished sixth in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer and was beaten 10 lengths when third to Channel Maker in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Albertrani excused the Sword Dancer performance by noting the three close finishes he had prior to that race may have taken some starch out of Sadler’s Joy. The Joe Hirsch was run over soft turf, a condition Sadler’s Joy doesn’t prefer.

“The right pace scenario and firm turf, it makes a big difference with him,” Albertrani said.

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Lady Montdore, third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl after winning the Grade 2 Glens Falls at Saratoga, worked a half-mile in 51.08 on Monday morning at Belmont for Albertrani. She will target the Long Island Handicap on Nov. 24 at Aqueduct. That Grade 3 race had its purse doubled to $400,000 this year.