Christophe Clement

The scratching of Godolphin's morning-line favorite Legend of Time (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) deprived Saturday's GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes of some of its luster, and Carson's Run (Cupid)--who was a strong winning chance Legend of Time or not--continued in his rich vein of form, rallying from sixth and last to lead home a 1-2 finish for the Christophe Clement stable over 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map). Favored at 3-2 when all was said and done, the $170,000 OBS April breezer was taken back to the tail...

La Mehana (Fr) (Al Wukair {Ire}) made a shrewd move up the rail in the final furlong and earned the first graded/group stakes win of her career in the GIII Waya at the Big A on Friday. Prior to going for €400,000 last December at the Arqana Mixed Sale, La Mehana began her career as a late juvenile in France under the care of Henri-Alex Pantall where after a second-place debut she made the switch to the yard of Jean-Claude Rouget. Over the course of the next two years, the...

The late English Channel was himself a two-time winner of the race now known as the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, scoring in 2006 and 2007, the last of which preceded a victory in the Monmouth bog in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf a handful of weeks later. George Krikorian's outstanding turf distaffer War Like Goddess (English Channel) was in search of an unprecedented third straight win against the boys in the 12-furlong contest, but LSU Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel)--whose dam sire Kitten's Joy (El Prado...

Making her belated U.S. debut in Friday's opening-day Winter Memories Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A, French import Les Reys (Fr) (Kheleyf) split horses decisively with time ticking away and was home first to record a second consecutive victory at stakes level. Scratched down onto the rail, the gray filly was content to take back and raced just behind midfield while perhaps a fraction keen as Ori (Hard Spun) came across from her widest draw to cut out decent splits up front. Angled out into the clear at...

They say that once horse racing gets in your blood, it never leaves. Lee Vickers has no doubts about that. For him, a passion for the sport was practically embedded into his genetic code. Both his father and his grandfather were jockeys in his native England and Vickers was riding racehorses himself by age 12. Over the past three decades since, Vickers has ridden dozens of top-level horses on both sides of the Atlantic. This year, the assistant trainer and exercise rider for Christophe Clement is enjoying the ride with...

"If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere" is a classic lyric synonymous with the relentless spirit of New York City. It encapsulates the belief that conquering the city's challenges equips one to overcome any obstacle. A testament to the city's allure and its reputation as a place where dreams are made or broken, the line places the ultimate test of one's mettle squarely on the shoulders of the Big Apple. This spirit not only exemplifies Adelphi Racing Club's managing partner Matt Cutair, but also the enthusiasm...

At the start of this year's Saratoga meet, jockey Dylan Davis had a goal of beating the 19 wins he came home with last year. With two weeks still left to go before the NYRA circuit heads back downstate, Davis has already accomplished what he set out to do. He has scored 23 wins, including multiple stakes victories and his first Grade I in the U.S., and is currently ranked fourth in a highly competitive Saratoga jockey colony. The 29-year-old has finished in the money in 45% of his 119...

6th-Saratoga, $90,000, (S), Msw, 8-14, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.13, fm, 3 lengths. ANNASCAUL (f, 2, American Pharoah--Epping Forest {SP, $306,000}, by Exchange Rate) took play to be off as the 7-4 favorite while making her career debut against fellow New York-breds Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga, and she duly treated them to a three-length beating from the front beneath Frankie Dettori. The beautifully bred chestnut bounced alertly and was soon at the head of affairs, clicking off an opening quarter-mile in :22.04. Taking pressure to her outside from a lugging-out...

By winning last Sunday's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, Carson's Run (Cupid) secured a spot in the AUS$5-million Ladbrokes G1 W. S. Cox Plate on October 26 in Australia. In U.S. dollars, the race is worth about $3.3 million. It's an invitation his connections  are seriously considering. "We're interested," said Terry Finley, the managing partner of West Point Thoroughbreds, which owns the horse with Steven Bouchy. "It is a very lucrative package. I haven't talked to (trainer) Christophe Clement about it yet but we are definitely game. That's an awful lot...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale kicked off its two-day run with an abbreviated session featuring competitive bidding from start to finish Sunday evening in the Humphry S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga. "It was a strong start to the 2024 Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "There was very consistent trade from start to finish. I think the thing that was probably most encouraging tonight was the buy-back rate. This sale has traditionally had a little bit of a higher buy-back...

In a story reminiscent of 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), Carson's Run (c, 3, Cupid--Hot N Hectic, by Henny Hughes) found a sequel to his own fairy tale Sunday, detailed last year here and here. The West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey runner, a winner June 23 of the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth Park, doubled up on his juvenile form, adding the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Sunday to his GI Summer Stakes victory last year at Woodbine. He crossed the Saratoga wire Sunday...

2nd-SAR, $100K, Msw, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:44 p.m. ET. LSU Stables's LETTER PERFECT (Audible), a $425,000 OBS March breezer (:10) from the Eddie Woods consignment in 2023, kicks off his career--weather permitting--sprinting on the grass for Christophe Clement. Letter Perfect, previously a $140,000 FTKJUL yearling, was the highest-priced colt from his sire's first crop to change hands at the 2-year-old sales in 2023 and the third most expensive from 44 sold overall. He is the first foal from his winning dam Syllable (Super Saver). TJCIS PPS