Mischevious Alex, Drain the Clock work for stakes at Belmont

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mischevious Alex and Drain the Clock, locally based stars who will be heading to New York in several weeks, turned in works here Sunday. Mischevious Alex breezed five furlongs in 1:02.15, Drain the Clock a half-mile in 48.79.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had to alter his original plan for the two after his stakes winner Chance It stumbled and lost his rider leaving the starting gate for a scheduled work.

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“The rider on Chance It is my main work rider,” said Joseph. “He fell really hard. Luckily it appears he wasn’t seriously hurt. But it left me one rider short for the rest of the morning. So I decided to have both Mischevious Alex and Drain the Clock go solo instead of in company. Mischevious Alex was going to have a slow work, anyway, after having worked so fast last week. Both horses are plenty ahead of schedule for their next starts.”

Mischevious Alex is slated to compete in the Met Mile and Drain the Clock in the Woody Stephens on June 5, Belmont Stakes Day. Joseph said he also plans to send Sweet Bye and Bye to New York to compete in the Just a Game the same afternoon.

Chance It, who ran off unharmed following his gate mishap, could come back to work sometime later this week, Joseph said.

Sunday’s work tab here also included Imprimis, who went five furlongs over firm turf in 1:01.47, with his final quarter in a sharp 22.53 under pressure. The work was the second for Imprimis since his hard-luck second-place finish in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland on April 3.