Metropolitan Mile Handicap | Horse Racing Free Tips

Joseph Targeting Grade 1 Stakes At Saratoga For Drain The Clock, Mischevious Alex

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock kept an unbeaten record around one-turn intact when outdueling Jackie's Warrior to capture the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency on Saturday's Belmont Stakes day card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The chestnut sophomore son of Maclean's Music arrived at the seven-furlong event off an in-hand victory in the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 3 at Aqueduct.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said Drain the Clock emerged from his third graded stakes score in good order and will now target the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

“He came out of the race well. He ran a big race yesterday,” Joseph said. “That was the first time he got involved in a duel and the horse he dueled with normally doesn't get beat when he duels. It was a gutsy performance.”

Following victories in the Limehouse and Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park, Drain the Clock stretched out in distance in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, where he finished second beaten 1 ½ lengths to Greatest Honour. Following such an effort, Joseph cut him back to one turn.

“It paid off yesterday and justified for not pushing the issue,” Joseph said.

Primarily based at Gulfstream Park year round, Joseph said Drain the Clock would most likely remain at Belmont Park for the time being.

“He'll breeze in three weeks, that's what we did last time,” said Joseph. “That was the first time we had so many breezes into a race and he seems to thrive off that. I would say most likely he'll stay here, but it's not set in stone yet.”

Later on the card, Joseph saddled Mischevious Alex to a close third in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. Although the son of Into Mischief captured the Grade 3 Gotham in March 2020 going a one-turn mile, Joseph said the horse's better runs are going an eighth to a quarter of a mile shorter. He plans on targeting the Grade 1, $350,000 A.G. Vanderbilt on July 31 and the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, both at Saratoga Race Course, are the next goals moving forward.

“I think a mile might be stretching him at top class,” Joseph said. “I truly believe that going six or seven furlongs he's one the best in the country. He ran his race, and we'll aim for the two Grade 1 races at Saratoga and then hopefully the Breeders' Cup Sprint.”

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Mischevious Alex, Drain The Clock Drill For Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Engagements

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. breezed Mischevious Alex and Drain the Clock Sunday at Florida's Gulfstream Park in preparation for starts at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival this coming week at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex worked a half-mile in company in 48.72 seconds on the fast main track in his final breeze for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap.

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock also worked a half-mile in company in 48.68.

Joseph said the breeze was easier by design for both after working the two talented colts head-and-head on May 23 through five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.81 on the Gulfstream main track.

“We didn't want either of them to overdo anything so we paired them with lesser workmates today,” said Joseph. “The last time they worked together they went head and head the whole way.”

Joseph said Mischevious Alex is coming into the Met Mile, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, in top form following his impressive score in the G1 Carter Handicap on April 3 at the Big A that garnered a career-best 109 Beyer.

“They caught him in 48 and change and he got the last quarter in 23 and 1, so it went well,” said Joseph. “He's in good form. We're hoping he can run a race as good as last time. If he does, I think we're going over there with a good chance.”

Drain the Clock, who has won 5-of-7 starts, is targeting the G1, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau Country Industrial Development Agency, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores.

Joseph said the Maclean's Music chestnut, who matched a career-best 86 Beyer last out winning the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 3 at the Big A, is in good order.

“He's plenty fit,” said Joseph. “He looked good working and he is coming into the race in good form at a distance that he's been successful. He'll have to run his career best, but we feel like he's sitting on his career best.”

Joseph will also be represented at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival by Sweet Bye and Bye in Thursday's G3, $200,000 Intercontinental, a seven-furlong Widener turf sprint for older fillies and mares; and by Queen Nekia in the G1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps at 1 1/16-miles on Big Sandy for older fillies and mares which offers a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” berth to the Distaff.

Joseph said the colts will fly to New York on Wednesday, while the mares will begin their journey by van later today.

The Florida-based conditioner, who has stalls at Belmont for the first time, has three wins and three thirds from nine starts at the Belmont spring/summer meet. He praised assistant trainer Sabine Langvad for the strong early showing.

“Our horses have been in good form and running good. Even the ones that didn't win have performed credibly,” said Joseph, Jr. “Sabine works hard and has a lot of passion for what she does.”

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Silver State May Bring Five-Race Win Streak To Met Mile On Belmont Stakes Card

While Grade 1 Preakness Stakes runner-up Midnight Bourbon will likely take his show on the road, red-hot Silver State could give Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen noteworthy representation on Belmont Stakes Day in the Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Silver State would bring a five-race win streak to New York for the Met Mile for Winchell and Asmussen. Owned by Winchell in partnership with Willis Horton Racing, the 4-year-old Hard Spun colt was given an extended break following a run in the series of Kentucky Derby prep races at Fair Grounds Race Course last year and has done no wrong since returning to action.

Following two allowance triumphs at seven furlongs at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, Silver State began building a prominent resume with a trio of stakes victories at Oaklawn Park this winter, capturing the Fifth Season on January 23, the Essex on March 13, and the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 17.

“We've got the Met Mile under consideration,” said David Fiske bloodstock and racing adviser for Winchell Thoroughbreds. “He went seven-eighths in 1:21 and some change when he won at Churchill, so we feel that anything around seven-eighths to a mile and an eighth would be within his ability.”

Should he make the trip to New York for the Met Mile, Silver State would aim to give Asmussen his third victory in the prestigious race. He previously won back-to-back editions with Bee Jersey [2018] and Mitole [2019].

Fiske added that dual graded stakes-placed Whiskey Double could ship to Belmont Park later in the summer for the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer on July 5 if performs well in a Thursday allowance race at Churchill Downs. The son of Into Mischief was second in the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct before finishing third to stable mate Jackie's Warrior in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.

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Vekoma Scores Front-Running Victory In Runhappy Met Mile

Under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma scored a front-running victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., holding off late charges from Network Effect and Code of Honor and earning an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race.

Trained by George Weaver, Vekoma – 4-year-old colt by Candy Ride out of G1 Humana Distaff winner Mona de Momma, by Speightstown – covered one mile on a fast track in 1:32.88 after setting fractions of :22.73, :45.87 and 1:09.57.

Network Effect, who altered course in the stretch after lacking room along the rail, finished second. Code of Honor closed on the outside for third, with Warrior's Charge fourth and McKinzie fifth in the field of eight older runners.

Vekoma carried 123 pounds, two less than high-weight McKinzie. Both went off at 9-5.

The win was the sixth in eight starts for Vekoma, winner of the G3 Nashua at 2 in 2018, the G2 Blue Grass Stakes in 2019 and then 13th in the G1 Kentucky Derby. Given a lengthy rest by Weaver after the Derby, Vekoma came back in March to win the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream, then came from just off the pace to win the G1 Carter Handicap on June 6. Network Effect finished second that day, too.

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