Christophe Clement

Some 10 years ago, I found myself alone in Chantilly, France at a horse sale and attending the Arc de Triomphe. I didn't know anyone and certainly didn't speak French. France Galop had it set up for me to meet Nicolas Clement at his yard in Chantilly. For those of you who don't know, "yard" is their barn area and the yard is also located at their home. Nicolas was delightful. Showed me around and invited me to a barbecue he was hosting at his home the next day. The...

Seth Hancock recommended Christophe Clement when he went out on his own in 1991 and I sent horses to him. Christophe worked extremely hard to become one of the most successful trainers in New York. We were friends for many years. I appreciated a text from him on May 4, but could only think about how hard this battle had to be. Christophe will be remembered by what he achieved in his career. He leaves a large, loving family behind to relish his accomplishments and honor his memory by building...

Christophe Clement, a native of Paris, France, who started training full-time in the U.S. in 1991, has passed away after battling Metastatic Uveal Melanoma. He was 59. Clement was introduced to the sport by his father Miguel, a French trainer. He went to work for top French trainer Alec Head before coming to the U.S. to work for Shug McGaughey. He made one more stop in Europe, working as an assistant to Luca Cumani before opening up his own U.S. based stable in 1991. Clement picked up his first win...

Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's LOVE CERVERE (f, 3, Into Mischief--Panther Strike, by Black Minnaloushe) had several rivals to pass entering the final furlong of Saturday's inaugural Take The A Train Stakes at Aqueduct, but took flight and motored home down the center of the track to become the 174th stakes winner for her all-conquering sire while giving trainer Christophe Clement and jockey Joel Rosario a sweep of the afternoon's black-type contests on the grass. A latest fifth as the favorite in the Sanibal Island Stakes at...

Returning to the scene of his victory in last year's GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, LSU Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel) stamped his authority on Saturday's GII Man o' War Stakes at Aqueduct, defeating his chief market rival Anglophile (English Channel) by a deceptively easy margin. The prohibitive favorite was given a dig away from the stalls by Joel Rosario to open up his early options, but when longshot Decanter (Kitten's Joy) and Capture the Flag (Quality Road) elected to go on with it, Far Bridge was...

The stabling area at Monmouth Park opened Saturday morning and trainer Mike Dini had the first horse to arrive for the second straight year as a juvenile from Tampa Bay Downs led the parade into the New Jersey fixture ahead of opening day May 10, the track announced Saturday afternoon. Dini has 60 stalls to fill ahead of the 50-day meeting, and with his current string down in Florida, the trainer says practicality led the decision to start shipping early rather than any pointed intention to be the first on...

7th-KEE, $130K, OC80K/N2X, 4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 4:12 p.m. ET. Off the bench for Team Juddmonte, IMPEL (Quality Road) garnered 'TDN Rising Star' honors when she debuted a winner by 3 1/4 lengths at Fair Grounds Jan. 1 of last year. The filly cleared an optional claimer at Oaklawn in early March, which set her up to take a shot in the GI Central Bank Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in April. The homebred finished third and then was the runner-up in the GII Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs on the...

In case anyone was worried that the turf marathon would be boring, how's your heart rate after this finish? It was a battle down to the wire, but class prevailed as MGISW Far Bridge (English Channel) made a successful 2025 seasonal bow in the GIII Pan American Stakes. Far Bridge was last seen Nov. 2 fading to ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf but had come into that championship race with back-to-back elite victories under his belt in Belmont Big A's Sept. 28 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes...

LSU Stables's 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel), winner of last year's GI Sword Dancer S. and GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S., will launch his 5-year-old campaign in Saturday's GIII Pan American S. at Gulfstream Park. The Sarf family's gold-and-purple silks will also be carried by Le Mehana (Fr) (Al Wukair {Ire}) in the GIII Orchid S. two races earlier on the sensational GI Curlin Florida Derby program. Both are trained by Christophe Clement. LSU Stables--the 'L' stands for Larry and Leslie (the affable couple went on their...

5th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 3-19, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:37.21, gd, nose. CURLAINE (f, 3, Curlin--Demimondaine, by Tapit) was caught late and had to settle for second in her career debut going six panels on the Tampa dirt Jan. 11 and broke from the inside and never found her best stride, finishing fifth when adding a sixteenth of a mile Feb. 8. Sent off at 3-1 while stretching to a mile on the grass for the first time, the bay settled in an rail-hugging tracking third as Cottage Garden (Frosted)...

The accomplished juvenile Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), unraced since finishing seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last Nov. 1, made a triumphant start to his 3-year-old campaign under Flavien Prat. Victorious in his Jun. 4 Saint-Cloud debut for trainer Andre Fabre, he next resurfaced at Saratoga with a win in the Aug. 29 GIII With Anticipation Stakes before stepping up to prevail in the Sept. 28 GII Pilgrim Stakes during the Belmont At The Big A meet. After a steady string of workouts on both dirt...

3rd-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:18 p.m. ET. CHA CHA QUICK (Into Mischief) makes her first start for breeder Stonestreet. Out of SP Peggy Jane (Kafwain), the homebred counts as a full-sister champion female sprinter Gamine. The Brad Cox trainee hails from an extended female family which includes Canadian champion grass horse Dynamic Sky (Sky Mesa). TJCIS PPS 6th-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 2:55 p.m. ET. Another homebred exits the Tampa barrier in Godolphin's Playa Del Mar (Into Mischief). Trained by Bill Mott, the colt's dam is GISP Flor...