Drain the Clock breezed a half-mile Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park in preparation for a possible start in the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 27 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track. The 3-year-old son of Maclean's Music was timed in :49.02 in his first workout since romping to victory in the Jan. 30 Claiborne Farm Swale (G3) at Gulfstream.
“It was his first easy breeze by himself. He went as good as could ask,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “Next week, we'll put in company. I didn't want him to go with company today, because I didn't want him to go too fast. By himself, he'll go as slow as you want. In company, he gets more aggressive.”
Drain the Clock has won four of five lifetime starts, his only loss coming when he lost his rider due to a broken iron during the running of the Nov. 30 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs. He entered the Delta stakes off a six-length debut victory at Gulfstream Park and an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park West. The Joseph trainee bounced back from his ill-fated trip to Louisiana with a 7 ½-length win in the Jan. 2 Limehouse and a 6 ¼-length triumph in the Swale during the 2020-'21 Championship Meet.
Joseph said Drain the Clock will likely return to action in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth or the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct March 6.
“He's also nominated to the Tampa Bay Derby, but I would say it's between the Fountain of Youth or the Gotham,” Joseph said.
The Joseph-trained Ny Traffic, who came within a nose of beating 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic in last year's Haskell (G1) at Monmouth, breezed a half-mile Sunday morning at Gulfstream. Idle since finishing ninth in the Oct. 3 Preakness (G1), the 4-year-old son of Cross Traffic was timed in 47:53 seconds for four furlongs in his sixth breeze in preparation for his return to action.
“The was his most serious work to date,” Joseph said. “He's in good order. He'll have maybe two more works and we'll try to find a spot.”
The New York-bred colt worked in company with Saturday's Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) winner Mischevious Alex in his previous workout.
Ny Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and team Hanley, finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, the Matt Winn (G2) at Churchill Downs, and the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. He finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
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