By Alan Carasso
Trainer Miguel Clement all but guaranteed that 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Deterministic (h, 5, Liam's Map–Giulio's Jewel, by Speightstown) would be on the lead in defense of his title in Saturday's GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Saratoga.
It didn't work out exactly how the coach drew it up, but the results were satisfying all the same, as the $625,000 Keeneland September yearling stalked the pace of second choice Rhetorical (Not This Time) and grabbed that one inside the final sixteenth of a mile to become the first horse in nearly four decades to win the race in consecutive runnings.
Off a fraction slow from gate five, Deterministic and Kendrick Carmouche were forced to play the hand they were dealt and elected to take the sit from second through early fractions of :22.99 and :47.01.
Held together through six furlongs in 1:09.83, with the New York-bred Rhetorical still doing his thing up front, Deterministic confronted the front-runner well inside the final furlong and kept on gamely to the line. Test Score (Oscar Performance) ran on for second ahead of One Stripe (SAf) (One World {SAf}), who rallied from the tail of the field to just touch Rhetorical out of third. Test Score and One Stripe comprised the exacta a neck apart in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf this past January. Favored Bright Picture (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) never landed a serious blow in seventh.
The final time of 1:50.50 for the mile and three-sixteenths on very firm turf shaved 0.90 seconds off the previous course record set by Say the Word (More Than Ready) in 2020. The 2025 Manhattan was moved to the inner turf and contested over nine furlongs owing to underfoot conditions.
“He broke a touch slow, which I was very disappointed about,” Clement said. “So, we had to go to 'Plan B,' which fortunately Kendrick [Carmouche] rode him brilliantly, and Plan B still worked out anyways because he's top class.
“He's a tremendous racehorse. He's a pure athlete. We are very privileged to be part of the ride.”
After defeating Integration (Quality Road) by a head last season–the colt's first start following the passing of patriarch Christophe Clement–Deterministic came from just off the pace to take the GI Fourstardave Stakes back at a mile in August. Reportedly underdone when besting Battle of Normandy (City of Light) in front-running fashion in the GIII Fort Marcy Stakes on May 2, clearly a stepping-stone to this, the dark bay is likely to return to eight furlongs for the Fourstardave in a few months' time.
“Seems like the logical choice to go. He has an affinity for Saratoga,” said Clement. “As we're based here, we always like to support NYRA. He's a very special horse.”
Pedigree Notes:
Deterministic is one of four winners from as many runners from Giulio's Jewel, who sadly passed away in 2022. The mare's final foal is the 4-year-old filly Morana (Frosted), a homebred for breeder Hinkle Farms, who was victorious in her lone start to date for Cherie DeVaux over the Turfway all-weather on Mar. 27.
A pair of half-sisters to Deterministic have made waves at sales both live and electronic over the last year or so. Having lost Guilio's Jewel, Hinkle Farms increased their investment in the family with the purchase of the now 10-year-old Nu Pi Lambda (City Zip), who was offered in foal to none other than Liam's Map and topped the Major Reduction of the late John Harris's Harris Farms on the Fasig-Tipton Digital platform last August on a bid of $200,000.
Giulio's Jewel's 8-year-old daughter Seeking Mo Jewel (Nyquist) is responsible for a 2-year-old filly by Honor A. P. who was knocked down to the Three Amigos for $725,000 at this year's OBS April Sale. Sold for $100,000 at Keeneland November in 2024, Seeking Mo Jewel produced a Jackie's Warrior filly in 2025.
Five graded stakes wins in a row!
DETERMINISTIC wins the Grade 1 @RWCatskills Manhattan Stakes for the second year in a row under @KendrickCarmou1 for trainer @clementstable. pic.twitter.com/g0T7jBGk57
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) June 6, 2026
Saturday, Saratoga
RESORTS WORLD CASINO MANHATTAN S.-GI, $1,000,000, Saratoga, 6-6, 4yo/up, 1 3/16mT, 1:50.50, fm.
1–DETERMINISTIC, 124, h, 5, by Liam's Map
1st Dam: Giulio's Jewel, by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Acadiana, by Tiznow
3rd Dam: Amelia, by Dixieland Band
'TDN Rising Star'. ($625,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-St. Elias Stable,
Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable; B-Hinkle
Farms (KY); T-Miguel Clement; J-Kendrick Carmouche.
$550,000. Lifetime Record: 15-9-3-1, $2,634,765. Werk Nick
Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Test Score, 124, c, 4, Lookin At Lucky–Joy of Learning,
by Kitten's Joy. O-Amerman Racing, LLC; B-Jerry Amerman
(KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $200,000.
3–One Stripe (Saf), 124, h, 5, One World (Saf)–Silver Stripe
(Saf), by Silvano (Ger). O-Hollywood Racing and Rikesh
Sewgoolam; B-Drakenstein Stud (SAF); T-H. Graham Motion.
$120,000.
Margins: HF, HF, NK. Odds: 4.92, 15.50, 7.94.
Also Ran: Rhetorical, Integration, Make Me King (Fr), Bright Picture (Fr), Tiz Dashing, Battle of Normandy. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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