Drain the Clock Fires ‘Bullet’ for Friday Return

Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock breezed a half-mile in 45.48 seconds Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park, producing the fastest of 53 workouts timed at the distance in preparation for a return to action Friday.

The 3-year-old son of Maclean’s Music, who captured the Woody Stephens (G1) on the June 5 Belmont Stakes undercard, has been on the sidelines since finishing fourth in the H Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) August 28 at Saratoga. Sunday’s breeze was the latest in a series of five workouts in preparation for his return in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance 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,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.

Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Drain the Clock, who will take on six rivals, including Todd Pletcher-trained Nocturnal, who has been idle since breaking his maiden and winning an optional claiming allowance back-to-back during last season’s Championship Meet.

Drain the Clock has won three races in four starts at Gulfstream, including last season’s Swale (G3). His only loss at Gulfstream came in a second-place finish in the two-turn Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2).