Drain the Clock Gritty in Gulfstream Comeback Win

Drain the Clock  made a determined return to action Dec. 10 at Gulfstream Park with a half-length victory in the race 7 feature, a $56,4000 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

The grade 1 stakes winner, who hadn't seen racing action since finishing fourth in the Aug. 28 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, set a pressured pace with fractions of :22.08, :44.42, and :56.19 while under heavy outside pressure from eventual runner-up Gatsby  and asserted his class to edge away late in a quick 1:08.63.

 "At the top of the stretch, I said, 'Go on, champ!' Normally, I watch a race and watch it very nervous. With him, I never thought he would get beat," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. "I don't think we have him fully cranked, so to see him back like that..."

"He's a racehorse. You can see on his form, he's very consistent. He shows up every time," added winning rider Tyler Gaffalione. "Coming off the layoff, it's not an ideal situation taking that much pressure, but he handled everything great and Saffie always does a great job getting them ready."

Sent to post as the 2-5 favorite, the 3-year-old son of Maclean's Music   had won three races in four prior starts at Gulfstream, including the Jan. 30 Claiborne Farm Swale (G3), before hitting the road to win the Bay Shore (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (G1) at Belmont Park. His only loss at Gulfstream came in a second-place finish in the two-turn Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2).

"I think he's going to have a big year," said Joseph, who mentioned the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (G3) Feb. 19 as a likely target. 

He races for owners Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig. Slam Dunk's Nick Cosato bred the colt, who is out of the Arch  mare Manki .

Gatsby finished 5 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Where Paradise Lay .

Hall of Fame Trainer Todd Pletcher captured Friday's co-featured third race, a $54,700 six-furlong allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream with Robert and Lawana Low's My Prankster  ($2.20). The stakes-placed 2-year-old son of Into Mischief   ran down pacesetting Little Vic  by a half-length in 1:09.02.

My Prankster initially broke his maiden by 10 lengths on debut Aug. 21 at Saratoga and finished fourth in the Oct. 2 Champagne (G1) in his second start. He ran second by less than a length in the Bowman Mill Stakes Oct. 30 at Keeneland last time out.

"I was really happy with My Prankster. It was a tough race and he ran very well," Pletcher said. "I thought for 2-year-olds to run in 1:09.02 when a grade 1 winner later on the card went in 1:08.63 was pretty impressive to run that fast. We were kind of hoping to land in a cozy spot and ended up running into a really nice horse. We're pleased that he kept coming and got the job done."