Christophe Clement
There was a brief window of time about 15 months ago when 'TDN Rising Stars' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and Fierceness (City of Light) were well established sophomores on the Triple Crown trail, and they were joined by an intriguing new shooter, Deterministic (Liam's Map), who suddenly had "wiseguy" appeal for the 2024 GI Kentucky Derby based on just two well-spaced lifetime starts. Deterministic, too, had been named a 'Rising Star' as a juvenile off an Aug. 12, 2023, debut dirt sprint victory at Saratoga for trainer Christophe Clement. But...
It's been a little bit more than seven weeks since Christophe Clement passed away after battling a rare form of cancer. But that hasn't slowed the stable down one bit as his son, Miguel, has taken over and has been a frequent visitor to the winner's circle. On Friday, he won his eighth race of the Saratoga meet when sending out Intricate Spirit (Complexity) to a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy win in the day's sixth race, a 2-year-old maiden special weight on the grass. Intricate Spirit is a half-brother to Spirit...
Graded races at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park have been renamed in honor of the late trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Christophe Clement, 1ST, which operates both racetracks, announced Wednesday. Beginning in 2026, the GII Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita will be renamed the D. Wayne Lukas Stakes, while the GIII La Prevoyante Stakes at Gulfstream Park has been renamed the Christophe Clement Stakes. "D. Wayne Lukas and Christophe Clement were not just generational horsemen, they were top-class people," said 1/ST President Aidan Butler. "Santa Anita and Gulfstream were...
2nd-Monmouth, $51,975, Msw, 7-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.70, ft, 6 1/4 lengths. SILENT DREAMER (f, 3, Into Mischief--Celestine {GISW, $1,148,055}, by Scat Daddy) debuted on the lawn at Aqueduct Sept. 19 last season, and ran a flat seventh after showing little. She transitioned from the Christophe Clement to the Miguel Clement program on her return to the barn, and left the blocks for this second jump with first-time blinkers, Lasix, and on the main track. In the bit and taking the lead right from the jump, the 7-1 shot set...
SARATOGA SPRINGS - There are several reasons trainer Miguel Clement has special feelings for the 5-year-old horse Far Bridge (English Channel), who runs in Saturday's $200,000 GII Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The record Far Bridge has put together makes his trainer proud. Eight wins in 17 career starts, three second- and three third-place finishes. Career earnings of $2,262,980. He is a multiple Grade I winner. "He is very consistent," Clement said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track Thursday morning. "He is a hard tryer; as...
Like so many others, Acacia Clement's favorite meet is Saratoga. As part of the Saratoga broadcast team and the wife of trainer Miguel Clement, she has to work long hours and juggle a hectic schedule. Preparation is something she takes seriously. But Saratoga also means great racing in a beautiful and historic location, a lively nightlife and so much more. There's a lot to like about this place. Appearing on the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland as the Gainesway Guest of the Week, Clement said what she loves...
Miguel Clement, the 34-year-old son of the late Christophe Clement, is sure to win many major races during his career, but the one he will surely never forget was when Deterministic (Liam's Map) took the GI Manhattan Stakes June 8. The win came just 13 days after his father passed away from cancer. But for this one race and one moment in time it was as if nothing had changed. Christophe Clement collected three Manhattans over the course of his career and Miguel almost pulled off a one-two finish as...
Forbidden Apple (Pleasant Colony--North of Eden {Ire}, by Northfields), a Grade I winner of nearly $1.7 million, passed away June 16 due to the infirmities of old age at the age of 30 at TRF Second Chances at Lowell, where he resided since 2013. He was remembered by the TRF Friday with the release noting that, "At Lowell, Forbidden Apple, affectionately known as "Apple," quickly became a favorite among Second Chances Program students and staff. His gentle demeanor, playful nature, and deep love for treats and grooming brushes made him...
In perhaps the most fitting end to a dramatic weekend of racing in upstate New York, Deterministic (Liam's Map) held on for a last-gasp victory in the GI Manhattan Stakes Sunday at Saratoga, giving Miguel Clement his first top-level victory just two weeks after taking over the stable following the passing of his father, longtime New York conditioner Christophe Clement. "I'm very fortunate and very lucky we have a great team. Very much Dad's legacy," Clement said. "It is beyond emotional, the last two weeks, to be honest with you....
One thing is certain: there's never been a May like it. Godolphin threw down the graded gauntlet in May with such an unprecedented and historic achievement surely no one dreamed it could be possible. A Classic double in America for the operation turned into a Classic quadruple on both sides of the pond, all in the same weekend. While that feat stands tall among the month's graded races, the rest of May did its part to deliver additional drama, special moments, and superb racing. We take a look at trends...
I recently read with great interest Mr. Campbell's Letter to the Editor feeling remorse as to why he did not vote Christophe Clement into the Hall of Fame before Mr. Clement's death. His sentiment reminded me of other instances where all of us in racing just scratch our heads and ask, "How is this possible." I remember when Hall of Fame voters failed to vote jockey Garrett Gomez into the Hall while he was alive, yet three months after his death he got in. Before his death, Garrett had distinguished...
Trainer Christophe Clement sadly passed away without being inducted into the National Museum of Racing's 2025 Hall of Fame class, and I freely admit that I did not cast a ballot for him again. Something is amiss because it feels like a failure on my part, the voters and by the system. When the envelope has arrived in the mail these past few years and I look down at the list of trainers it always fills my cup full of dread. Take your medicine, I tell myself, but it's so...