Sadler’s Joy rallies to win Sword Dancer
By David M. Johnson SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Sadler’s Joy got spooked on the break and looked to have worked up a pretty good sweat the first time around the Saratoga Race Course inner turf course.
He took advantage of the rough start by saving ground until jockey Julien Leparoux swung Sadler’s Joy six wide around the final turn and sent him after the leaders. The 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy colt responded with a topclass effort that caught Money Multiplier and Bigger Picture two strides before the finish to win the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Sword Dancer Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
It was the first winner of the meeting for veteran trainer Thomas Albertrani from 16 starters.
“Million-dollar duck, I guess,” Albertrani said. “He kind of just stalled on the break and then when he got going he felt really happy with the place he was in. The pace was honest and he didn’t panic ... just waited for the right moment to push the button.”
When he did, Sadler’s Joy thrilled the crowd with what Albertrani described as a, “tremendous kick.”
Frank Conversation started best and led the field through fractions of 24.42, 49.17 and 1:14.19. First-choice Idaho settled off the pace before making a bid for the lead at the mile mark. But by the top of the stretch, Frank Conversation had regained the lead followed by Bigger Picture and Money Multiplier.
The latter two shot to the front inside the eighth pole and engaged in a head-to-head duel, however, Sadler’s Joy had rallied past on the outside to stop the timer first. Sadler’s Joy with jockey Julien Leparox aboard rebounded from a rough start to capture Saturday’s Grade 1 $1,000,000 Sword Dancer.
“The main thing ... was to have a good pace, which we did,” Leparoux said. “He was doing it pretty easy travelling pretty well. Then he came home very fast and by the middle of the stretch I thought I could get them.”
The winning time was 2:24.58 on a firm inner turf course at the Spa.
Money Multiplier hung on for second, a nose ahead of Bigger Picture.
“I thought he’d be on or near the lead,” Money Multiplier trainer Chad Brown said. “(Jockey Javier Castellano) went to ‘Plan B’ and the horse relaxed nicely. He ran really, really well.”
Hunter O’Riley was fourth followed by Irishbreds Erupt and Idaho. Frank Conversation rounded out the field.
It was the first Grade 1 victory for Sadler’s Joy in his third try. The 4-yearold Kitten’s Joy colt, out of Dynaire by Dynaformer, improved to 5-1-3 from 12 career races. His career earnings moved over the $1 million mark to $1,002,968 with the winner’s share of $535,000.
The victory also earned Sadler’s Joy an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf starting gate.
Albertrani mentioned the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont as a possible prep before the Breeders’ Cup.