Clement audibles to dirt work for Deterministic

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Miguel Clement had originally planned on putting Deterministic on the Oklahoma turf course Friday for his final work in preparation for a defense of his title a week from Saturday in the Grade 1 Manhattan. But after taking a little run over the turf himself on Thursday evening, Clement opted to call an audible, instead breezing his Eclipse Award finalist on the Oklahoma dirt, going five furlongs in a very impressive 1:01.92 per Daily Racing Form.

“I’ve been a little on the muscle of late what with Belmont Stakes weekend coming up, our season on the way, and our stable firing on all cylinders,” Clement explained on Friday. “And when I get stressed, I like to go out for a jog. And I can tell you, I’ll be doing a lot more laps this time of year than I did in January and February.”

And it was while making his way around the Oklahoma course, that Clement said he made an “executive decision” to switch his workout plans for Deterministic from grass to dirt.

“I felt the turf course was perfectly safe, but I thought it was still a little on the firm side,” Clement explained. “And I felt if the turf was too firm, I’d be very upset with myself if I breezed him over it and something happened.”

As for the work itself, which came with stablemate Squeeze Play as a target, Clement was beaming with delight and consequently brimming with confidence when talking about Deterministic’s effort a short while later.

:: DRF Belmont Stakes Packages: Save big on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more.

“I thought it was a spectacular work, he looked great. This was effortless for him,” Clement said. “He thrives at Saratoga and I’m cautiously very optimistic coming into this race.”

As was the case a year ago, Deterministic is using a popular victory in the Fort Marcy (downgraded from a Grade 2 to a Grade 3 this year) as a stepping-stone to the Manhattan. Last year, Deterministic won the Manhattan in game fashion over a stellar field that included second- and third-place finishers Integration and Far Bridge. The emotional triumph gave Clement his first Grade 1 stakes winner and came shortly after the passing of his father, the legendary trainer Christophe Clement, just two weeks earlier.

The Manhattan was also the second leg of Deterministic’s current four-race winning streak that also included a victory in the Grade 1 Fourstardave on Aug.2 during the regular Saratoga meet. That raece turned out to be his 2025 finale.

“He was in winning form for this race last year and he looks exactly the same again right now,” Clement offered. “He’s been unstoppable in his last four starts. He’s taken his game to another element now that he’s using his tactical speed.”

Deterministic will face a field in the 1 3/16-mile Manhattan that is expected to also include Integration, Battle of Normandy, Make Me King, Rhetorical, and Test Score, with One Stripe still under consideration for the race.

– additional reporting by David Grening

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.