Drain the Clock stands out on cutback in Bay Shore

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Saffie Joseph Jr. is planning to have a 12-horse stable this spring in New York. If he can place all his horses as well as Drain the Clock appears to be placed, Joseph figures to have plenty of success.

Drain the Clock looks like a standout among five 3-year-olds set to run seven furlongs in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore Stakes, the first of five stakes to be run on an 11-race Aqueduct card.

Drain the Clock, a son of Maclean’s Music, has won 4 of 6 starts including dominant victories in the Limehouse at six furlongs and the Grade 3 Swale at seven, both at Gulfstream Park. Drain the Clock was given the opportunity to stretch out around two turns in the Fountain of Youth, and though he had a 2 1/2-length lead in midstretch, he was run down by Greatest Honour.

“It was a creditable effort, maybe he doesn’t want to go that far against those kinds of horses,” Joseph said. “We feel he’s best at one turn, so we’ll get him back at that trip for now.”

Drain the Clock came out of the Fountain of Youth with two solid works at Gulfstream before shipping here Wednesday. He showed good energy Thursday morning galloping over the Belmont Park training track after visiting the starting gate.

:: Get David Aragona and Mike Beer’s Betting Strategies for Saturday’s card at Aqueduct

“We never do too much with him between races, he looks fantastic, his color’s shining,” said Joseph, who also will be represented by Mischevious Alex in Saturday’s Grade 1 Carter. “I think we go there with two good chances.”

Drain the Clock, who will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., figures to be on or near the lead in the Bay Shore. Parx Racing shipper Beren, a winner of two straight races in front-running fashion, is the potential other speed. He breaks from post 5 under Manny Franco.

Whiskey Double, a son of Into Mischief, is coming off an allowance win going six furlongs where he closed from 6 1/2 lengths back to get up.

Jose Ortiz rides Whiskey Double from post 4.

Too Boss and Garoppolo complete the field.

With only five runners, the Bay Shore was carded as race 4.

Search Results stretches out

Search Results successfully went from six furlongs to a mile when she won the Busher Stakes here March 6. On Saturday, she’ll attempt to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles when she heads a field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered in the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle Stakes.

Search Results prevailed in a tussle with Miss Brazil in the Busher while that pair finished nearly six lengths clear of The Grass Is Blue, who also is in this field.

:: DRF's Wood Memorial Day headquarters – Previews, past performances, picks, and more

“The way she finished her race off and galloped out gives me a little more confidence that she’ll be able to handle a mile and an eighth, but it still needs to be done,” said Chad Brown, who trains Search Results for Seth Klarman.

Search Results will break from post 8 under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Brown also trains The Grass Is Blue, who won the Busanda going 1 1/8 miles here Jan. 24. The one-mile Busher was probably too short for The Grass Is Blue, a daughter of Broken Vow owned by Louis Lazzinnaro, but she must prove she can handle tougher company in the Gazelle.

“She prefers two turns, it’s a class test for her,” Brown said.

The Gazelle, which offers 170 qualifying points toward the April 30 Kentucky Oaks, features three horses trying dirt for the first time. The most intriguing may be Alwayz Late, a daughter of Animal Kingdom, who has won her last two starts on turf, including an allowance going 1 1/8 miles.

Trainer Bill Mott said it was co-owner Adam Wachtel who suggested trying Alwayz Late on dirt. Mott said she’s worth the experiment.

“She really seemed to like the mile and an eighth, granted it was on the turf,” Mott said. “For me, I have to take a wait-and-see attitude about it. I’m not discouraged and I’m not overly enthusiastic. Let’s saddle up and give it a try.”

Tyler Gaffalione rides Alwayz Late form post 6.

Mia Martina, three turf starts, and Song of Innocence, one turf and three synthetic starts, also are trying dirt for the first time.

Maracuja stretches out off a 3 3/4-length sprint maiden win for trainer Rob Atras. She is by Honor Code, and Atras said his filly “wants nothing to do with sprinting.”

Hybrid Eclipse and Army Wife complete the field.

Modernist could upset Mr. Buff

The New York-bred Mr. Buff is the horse to beat in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior Stakes, but Modernist could be the one to upset him.

Modernist, winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes in 2020, came off a long layoff with a decent second-place finish behind Last Judgment in the Challenger Stakes on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs. That race was at 1 1/16 miles, the Excelsior is at 1 1/8 miles.

“Any added distance is going to help him,” Mott said. “Nine furlongs is better than a mile and a sixteenth. He was starting to get into it the last part.”

Modernist owns a maiden victory going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct, that coming in January 2020.

Mr. Buff is 7 for 8 in 1 1/8-mile races at Aqueduct. The 7-year-old New York-bred gelding is still in search of his first graded victory.

:: Bet horse racing on DRF Bets. Double Your First Deposit Up to $250. Join Now.

While Mr. Buff would appear to be the main speed in the Excelsior, he showed in his victory in the Jazil Stakes that he can sit off another horse if need be. Kendrick Carmouche rode him that day and, after missing the Stymie in which Mr. Buff ran quick early fractions under Manny Franco, is back aboard the gelding Saturday.

“I think the guy that rides him is pretty confident in him, that he doesn’t have to be committed to a heavy pace,” trainer John Kimmel said. “If he makes the lead fine.”

Mr. Buff breaks from post 7 under Carmouche.

Backsideofthemoon and Grumps Little Tots are others with some early pace.

Limonite came within a half-length of Mr. Buff when second to him in the Stymie. Prior to that, he was a five-length winner of an allowance race going five furlongs in his first start off the claim for Amira Chichakly.

Haikal, the 2019 Gotham winner, and Tintoretto complete the field.