Drain the Clock is out to prove he's world class in Dubai
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has decided one unexpected loss should not deter him from sending Drain the Clock to Dubai for the March 26 Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan Racecourse.
Joseph had hesitated about committing to the $2 million contest after his newly-turned 4-year-old was upset by Miles Ahead in the Feb. 19 Gulfstream Park Sprint. Further evaluation convinced him the son of Maclean’s Music, overtaken by a head, is nonetheless ready to oppose the world’s best sprinters.
“He’s going to take a lot of beating there,” Joseph said. “I think he stands a very good chance.”
Joseph said various speed figures, including a 102 Beyer, and an interesting bit of history convinced him that Drain the Clock can make the journey halfway around the world worthwhile. He noted that a Gulfstream Park defeat preceded each of Mind Your Biscuits’ victories in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2017 and 2018.
“Obviously, it’s two different horses,” Joseph said. “But it shows you don’t have to win to go to Dubai for the Sprint.”
U.S.-based runners have won five of the last six runnings of the Golden Shaheen.
Drain the Clock, owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig, has been something of a puzzle since his return from a layoff. In his first race following a fourth-place effort in the Aug. 28 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1), he turned in a scintillating performance in a Dec. 10. optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream. He outdueled Gatsby by half a length while completing six furlongs in a crackling 1:08.63.
Drain the Clock picked up Irad Ortiz Jr. for the Gulfstream Park Sprint and was sent off as a heavy favorite. The outcome gave Joseph reason to pause as he debated whether to target the Al Quoz Sprint or the April 9 Carter at Aqueduct. He decided not to attach much weight to the most recent start.
“He came out of the race well. He got beaten. We had no excuses, in my opinion,” the trainer said. “I thought we got a good enough trip.”
Drain the Clock emerged as a formidable sprinter last year when he captured the June 5 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park and followed that with a runner-up effort against eventual sprint champion Jackie’s Warrior in the Amsterdam (G2). The multiple graded-stakes winner, bred by Slam Dunk’s Nick Cosato, owns 7 victories in 12 starts with three second-place efforts for $672,550 in earnings.
Drain the Clock would represent Joseph’s first Dubai starter. He had planned to run Math Wizard in the 2020 World Cup only to have the pandemic force cancellation of that race.
Joseph, a third-generation horseman, arrived in South Florida from his native Barbados with two horses in 2011. “The first six or seven years were a struggle,” he said. “There were times when questions went through your head. ‘Are you going to break through?’ We tried to have faith and believe and God blessed us that we did break through.”
Math Wizard provided Joseph with his first Grade 1 win when he pulled a stunning upset in the Pennsylvania Derby in 2019. He began attracting owners with deeper pockets and his operation has soared in quantity and quality. This year, he will have strings at Gulfstream Park, nearby Palm Meadows Training Center, New York and, for the first time, Kentucky. He plans to have 15 to 20 horses in Kentucky, beginning with Keeneland’s ultra-competitive spring meet.
“We’re not going to take it for granted. I’m going to keep working hard and build a really good team, which you need behind you,” Joseph said. “That’s what makes for success, continued success.”
In addition to Dubai, Joseph pointed to Royal Ascot as an eventual international target. “We want to build a barn to compete in all the big races. Thankfully, we’ve got support from owners to make this happen,” he said, adding, “We’ll go anywhere as long as we have the right horse.”