Drain the Clock Breezes for Gulfstream Return
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Drain the Clock wins the Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park
Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock breezed a half-mile in :45 2/5 Dec. 5 at Gulfstream Park, producing the fastest of 53 workouts timed at the distance in preparation for a return to action Dec. 10.
The 3-year-old Maclean's Music colt, who captured the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (G1) on the June 5 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) undercard, has been on the sidelines since finishing fourth in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course. Sunday's breeze was the latest in a series of five workouts in preparation for his return in a $62,000, six-furlong allowance optional claimer in Friday's Race 7 feature.
"He's had good preparation. We'll get him started in the allowance and after that we'll come up with a plan for where we'll go to next," said Saffie Joseph Jr., who trains Drain the Clock for Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig.
Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Drain the Clock. The chestnut will take on six rivals, including Todd Pletcher-trained Nocturnal , who has been idle since breaking his maiden and winning an allowance optional claiming event back-to-back during last season's Championship Meet.
Drain the Clock has won three of four starts at Gulfstream, including the Claiborne Farm Swale Stakes (G3) early this year. His only loss at Gulfstream came in a second-place finish in the two-turn Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).