Drain the Clock Pointed to Gulfstream Park Sprint

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock , winner of last year's Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (G1) at Belmont Park, is pointed to the Feb. 19 $150,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (G3).

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the 4-year-old Maclean's Music   chestnut won five of eight starts last year, including scores in the Claiborne Farm Swale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and the Bay Shore Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Joseph said Drain the Clock is one of three horses, along with grade 1-placed stakes winner Ny Traffic  and Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' stakes-placed Collaborate , under consideration for the April 9 $300,000 Carter Handicap (G1) going seven furlongs at Aqueduct. 

Both Drain the Clock and Ny Traffic could also point to races on the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) undercard March 26 with the six-furlong Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) and Godolphin Mile (G2) possible.

"Drain the Clock is doing well," Joseph said. "He'll run in the Gulfstream Sprint in February and then he might go to Dubai. It's between the Carter and Dubai, but we hope to bring someone up for the Carter—either Ny Traffic or Collaborate." 

Drain the Clock returned Dec. 10 at Gulfstream after more than a three-month layoff for a gritty, front-running allowance optional claiming score at six furlongs.

John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman, and Team Hanley's New York-bred Ny Traffic is likely to make his next start in the March 5 $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2).

The 5-year-old son of Cross Traffic   bested fellow state-breds last out in the Hudson Handicap contested over a sloppy and sealed main track Oct. 30 at Belmont Park. 

The versatile gray was a game second around two turns in the nine-furlong 2020 TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G2), but Joseph said he would like to focus on one-turn events this season. 

"He seems to be best cut back to one turn," Joseph said of Ny Traffic, who had to miss the Cigar Mile (G1) in December at the Big A after an illness. "He fought off the bug he had and he's probably going to go to the Gulfstream Mile in March. He's been working well."

Joseph nominated both A.P.'s Secret and Eldon's Prince  to the Feb. 5 Withers Stakes (G3) but said both are unlikely to make the journey with A. P.'s Secret under consideration for the Feb. 19 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. 

"I might look at the Risen Star for one (A.P.'s Secret) and Eldon's Prince is going to stay on the grass for now," Joseph said.