Miguel Clement, with Deterministic and Far Bridge in barn, feeling confident
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – He’s admittedly biased, but trainer Miguel Clement believes he has the best middle-distance and marathon male turf horses in the country in his barn.
He may not be wrong.
Last Saturday, Deterministic successfully cut back to one mile and won the Grade 1, $750,000 Fourstardave Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over Intellect. It was his third graded turf stakes win this year and second in a Grade 1, having won the Manhattan at 1 1/8 miles here June 8. Deterministic also won the Grade 2 Fort Marcy at Aqueduct in May.
Going back to last year, when he won the Grade 3 Hill Prince in November, Deterministic has won four consecutive turf stakes. His lone defeat in the last nine months came in an off-the-turf allowance at Keeneland in April.
“Our stable’s got the best turf stayer in the country, Far Bridge, and also the best miler, so we’re very lucky,” Clement said Sunday morning. “Deterministic came out of his race in very good order, and he’s got a grip on the division at the moment. He’s incredibly athletic, a very efficient mover, and he’s in serious form at the moment.”
Deterministic’s victory in the Fourstardave earned him a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile to be run Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Clement said he’ll consider the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sept. 13 and/or the Grade 1, $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile on Oct. 4 at Keeneland as a way to get there.
“It’s always nice to strike while the iron’s hot, and right now it’s very hot,” Clement said. “Maybe he could put to bed the division before the Breeders’ Cup if he continues to win all the elite turf mile races. We’ll keep everything on the table, we’ll gauge him by his energy level, the way he trains, speak to the connections, and we’ll guide him the right way.”
This Saturday, Far Bridge will attempt to punch his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf when he looks to win his second straight running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga. Far Bridge, a 5-year-old son of English Channel, is 3 for 4 this year with wins in the Grade 3 Pan American at Gulfstream, the Grade 2 Man o’ War at Aqueduct, and the Grade 2 Bowling Green here July 12. His lone defeat this year came to Deterministic when he finished third, beaten just a neck, in the Manhattan, a race shortened to 1 1/8 miles from 1 3/16 miles after it was moved back one day due to weather and course-condition concerns.
Far Bridge drew post 6 in a field of nine for the Sword Dancer, a field that includes two Godolphin-owned, Charlie Appleby-trained runners in Nations Pride and El Cordobes. Nations Pride won the Saratoga Derby here in 2022 and was second in the Manhattan here in 2024.
El Cordobes, a 4-year-old son of Frankel, is coming off a win in the Group 1 Princess of Wales’s Stakes on July 10 at Newmarket. The Sword Dancer also drew two-time graded stakes winner Utah Beach for trainer Ignacio Correas.
“It’s not going to be an easy challenge, you got the two from Godolphin and you got some horses from the States,” Clement said. “The two new faces are scary faces. Nevertheless, he’s doing great, he loves Saratoga. We won’t duck anyone because I think he’s the best turf stayer in the country. Joel [Rosario] fits him perfectly, and the two of them have been a dynamic duo.”
The victories by Far Bridge and Deterministic are 2 of 9 triumphs from 38 starts for Clement through the first four weeks of the eight-week Saratoga meet. The wins rank him fourth in the standings, and his $1,211.280 in earnings are second-most behind Chad Brown. Clement has won two other stakes at this meet, and there may be more on the way.
In addition to Far Bridge, Clement on Saturday will send out Go Go Boots, a recent acquisition to the barn, in the Grade 2, $500,000 Saratoga Oaks. Go Go Boots, owned by Bobby Flay, was fourth in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at the Royal Ascot meet for John and Thady Gosden.
Clement said the filly has been in his barn since only last week and he’s appreciative of Flay giving him the opportunity to train her.
Clement also is pointing four horses to the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl on Aug 30. That quartet is led by La Mehana, the 8 3/4-length winner of the Glens Falls here July 27.
All of this has come in Clement’s first full meet on his own following the death of his father, Christophe, in May.
“The stable is firing and that makes everything easier, especially when you have this kind of team and these kinds of horses,” Clement said. “I’m very lucky in that regard. It’s very much needed at this time, to be honest with you, and a welcome distraction from everything else.”
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