Drain the Clock

Drain the Clock kicked off his racing career with back-to-back, open-length victories in September and October 2020 at Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Park West, respectively. In his final start as a 2-year-old, the Maclean’s Music colt made his stakes debut in the Jean Lafitte Stakes but his jockey broke and iron and was unseated early in the race.

Making his first start as a 3-year-old in the Limehouse Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 2, Drain the Clock pressed the pace and shook free to a 7 ¼-length runaway victory under Edgard Zayas. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. next tested Drain the Clock against graded stakes competition and he passed the test with flying colors with a 6 ¼-length romp as the 11-10 favorite.

Stretching out to two turns for the first time in the Grade 2 Fasig Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 27, Drain the Clock set the early pace and held on to finish second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

Following the Fountain of Youth, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. opted to return to a sprint distance with Drain the Clock in the seven-eighths of a mile Bay Shore Stakes, a $200,000 Grade 3 race April 3 at Aqueduct. The decision paid off as Drain the Clock led every step of the way en route to a convincing victory.

Drain the Clock earned another graded stakes win in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency at Belmont Park on June 5. He broke alertly and set a fast pace with Jackie's Warrior breathing down his neck. In the last eighth, Drain he Clock put away his rival and held on for the win, stopping the clock for seven furlongs in 1:22.27.