Christophe Clement
Calumet Farm's unbeaten homebred Far Bridge (c, 3, English Channel--Fitpitcher, by Kitten's Joy) kicked home impressively for 'TDN Rising Star' honors in a grassy optional claimer at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The bay was a head better than the promising Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) over the same course and distance on debut Jan. 21. Carl Spackler returned to earn a 'Rising Star' tag of his own with a smashing, 8 3/4-length maiden victory here Feb. 25. Hammered down to 1-2 here, Far Bridge raced under cover passing the...
Following a momentous 60th anniversary year for Moyglare Stud, with a Classic winner and a champion stayer to the team's credit, owner Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner and her bloodstock advisor Fiona Craig picked up a smart pair of fillies at Arqana's Breeding Stock Sale last December. Both Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}), who are Group 2 winners and were Group 1-placed in France and Germany respectively, will remain in training this season. They have now left Europe to join Christophe Clement's team of horses, which is currently...
North America's richest horse Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) is among the nine equine finalists for the 2023 National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame class. Additionally, six trainers and one jockey account for the 16 total individuals who will make up the ballot, which will be chosen by the Museum's Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. The other finalists are Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision), California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), Game On Dude (Awesome Again), Havre de Grace (Saint Liam), Kona Gold (Java Gold), Lady Eli (Divine Park), Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy), and...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 2:37p.m. ET Richard Schermerhorn's $390,000 OBSAPR purchase LADY BETH (Hard Spun) will be unveiled on what looks like a very active Sunday of racing across the country. Drawn toward the middle in this Gulfstream maiden, she is the first registered foal for her dam, the Werthemier et Frere-bred and West Point-campaigned Boreale (Makfi {GB}); four times stakes-placed in her career in America as well as a multiple winner in France. This is the female family of MGSW Interactif (Broken...
Despite the layers of cold water and powder coating her from head to toe, nothing could mask apprentice jockey Madison Olver's bright smile following her first career victory aboard Curbstone (Street Sense) in the sixth race at Aqueduct on Dec. 9, 2022. It was a surreal moment for the 23-year-old, who just five and a half years prior had never even witnessed a horse race, let alone set foot on the backside of a racetrack or exercised a racehorse. A native of Fort Collins, Colo., Olver was bit by the...
Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) will be aimed at the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational after his victory in the GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Saturday at Gulfstream, while the Christophe Clement-trained stablemates City Man (Mucho Macho Man) and Decorated Invader (Declaration of War), first and second in the GII Fort Lauderdale S., will now target the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. Skippylongstocking won the 2022 GIII West Virginia Derby and was third in the GI Belmont S. "He's getting better and he's filled out so much," trainer Saffie...
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles' City Man (Mucho Macho Man) was the recipient of a cool-headed ride from Joel Rosario and kicked smartly at the fence to take out Saturday's GII Fort Lauderdale S., earning a spot in the field for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf in a month's time. And he's done it the old-fashioned way--he's earned it. The second betting favorite as the public went head over heels for the comebacking two-time Pegasus hero Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), City Man bounced well from gate...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 2:14p.m. ET Manzanita Stables LLC went to $300,000 at KEESEP in 2021 to acquire LUCKY COMBINATION (Ghostzapper), a price tag likely aided by her dam being out of a half-sister to GISW & MGISP Girolamo (A.P. Indy) and his full-siblings MGISP & MGSW Daydreaming and GISP Accelerator. Dam Lucky Number herself claims GISW Got Lucky (A.P. Indy)--responsible for MGSP Overtook (Curlin)--as a half-relation and has produced two other winning fillies. This is the female family of GISW Chocolate Gelato...
Christophe Clement said he always looks forward to his annual trip to Deauville for the Arqana December Sale. It's a bit like stepping back in time for the U.S.-based trainer as he wanders the grounds that were once the setting of childhood summers spent working for his father, French conditioner Miguel Clement Sr. The youngest of three, Clement is still often called 'Little Clement' while in Deauville. "That always makes me laugh," said Clement, whose own son Miguel has a handle on their stable in America while his father is...
A complete dispersal of horses owned by Patricia Generazio will be offered at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and will be consigned by Denali Stud. The sale is scheduled for Jan. 9-12. Among the horses that will be sold are racing/broodmare prospects SW Mischievous Dream (Into Mischief), Pure Bode (Bodemeister), and Marquet Legacy (Gio Ponti), all from the families of some of the most popular graded winners developed by the Generazio operation. Among the horses campaigned by Generazio and her late husband, Frank, are GISWs Presious Passion (Royal...
Bobby Flay has always been content to settle for a bit of slow cooking when it comes to his Thoroughbred breeding program, but this particular project probably took a little longer than even the patient chef and restaurateur expected. Flay purchased the yearling filly White Hot (Ire) for 1,250,000 guineas at the 2014 Tattersalls October sale on the advice of his late bloodstock agent James Delahooke. Eight years later, he figures to be paid back, with interest, when her Breeders' Cup-winning daughter Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aug}) sells with Elite...
A trio of weanlings shared top price of $150,000 during a day of vibrant trade at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Sale Monday in upstate New York. By the close of business, 136 horses had sold for $4,533,200. The average of $33,332 jumped 48.5% from the 2021 auction and the median doubled to $20,000. With 46 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 25.3%. It was 29.7% a year ago when 163 horses grossed $3,657,800 for an average of $22,440 and a median of $10,000. "The market up here was...