Sadler's Joy taking a break in Florida

Trainer Tom Albertrani has shipped Breeders’ Cup Turf fourth-place finisher Sadler’s Joy to the Palm Meadows Training Center in south Florida, where he will be rested before gearing up for next season.

Late-running Sadler’s Joy earned a Win and You’re In fees-paid berth in the BC Turf by finishing fast to win the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga. He broke from post 12 in the 13-horse Turf and trailed for more than a mile before rallying wide on the final turn.

Sadler’s Joy was beaten 2 1/4 lengths under Julien Leparoux, and earned $200,000 from the $4 million purse.

“He ran huge in the Breeders’ Cup,” Albertrani said. “He was just a little too far back. The outside post didn’t help us and Julien had to wait a little bit with him. He made up 10 lengths.”

Sadler’s Joy, a 4-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy, went 2 for 8 this year while earning more than $1 million. He is the second Grade 1 winner bred by the Woodslane Farm of Rene and Lauren Woolcott, and the first Grade 1 winner they have raced.

The Woolcott’s are also the breeders of four-time Grade 1 winner Tonalist, who earned $3.6 million for Robert Evans.

Albertrani said Sadler’s Joy probably will not start until March at Gulfstream Park. He could make his comeback in either the Grade 2, $200,000 Mac Diarmida, a 1 3/8-mile turf race March 3, or the Grade 2, $250,000 Pan American at 1 1/2 miles on Florida Derby Day, March 31.

Sadler’s Joy scored his first stakes win in the 2017 Pan American.

“We’ll give him a little break for a few weeks and then start all over again,” Albertrani said.

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