Photo Credit: Chelsea Durand
NYRA Press
Trainer Tom Albertrani said he’s been pleased with the progress of his stakes-contender contingent training at Palm Meadows in Florida, with four-time graded stakes-winner Sadler’s Joy remaining on target for the Grade 1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf on January 25 at Gulfstream Park.
Owned by Woodslane Farm, Sadler’s Joy has been steadily working at Palm Meadows following his two-length score in the Grade 3 Red Smith last out over soft turf on November 23 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The son of Kitten’s Joy earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for his win against the 11-horse field, allowing him to cap his 6-year-old campaign with four consecutive triple-digit figures, including a 103 for his runner-up effort by a neck to Annals of Time in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on Travers Day, August 24, at historic Saratoga Race Course.
Sadler’s Joy also earned a 104 for running third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 5 at 1 ½ miles on Belmont Park’s firm turf. Entering his 7-year-old year, Albertrani said he’s been encouraged by Sadler’s Joy’s recent works, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.55.
The Kentucky homebred is 7-4-7 in 26 career starts and will be cutting back to the Pegasus World Cup Turf’s distance of 1 3/16 miles, marking the shortest he’s run since his one-mile career debut in May 2016 at Belmont.
“He looks fantastic and has been training really well, where we are pointing him right now to the Pegasus Turf next weekend,” Albertrani said. “He’s been really in good form. He’s been a bit unlucky sometimes and he was close in every one of his starts last year. He looks as strong as ever. Going into the Pegasus, we know the distance is a little shorter than what he really prefers, but we are up for the challenge, and hopefully he can run a big one like he did in the Red Smith. “Looking at him, now turning 7, he looks every bit as strong and healthy [as ever], and hopefully we have a good year with him,” he added.
Sadler’s Joy’s half-sister Dyna Passer, also a Woodslane Farm homebred, is training at Palm Meadows as she gears up for her first race since running fifth in the Grade 2 Sands Point on October 12 at Belmont. The Lemon Drop Kid filly is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she earned graded-stakes blacktype by finishing third in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational, the finale of the inaugural Turf Triple Series, on September 7 at Belmont.
“She’s been doing well. I don’t have any races picked out for her at the moment but she’s been training right along,” Albertrani said.
