Miguel Clement seeks first graded win in Manhattan

In an impressive showing for the barn of the late Christophe Clement, the trio of Far Bridge, Carson’s Run and Deterministic have long been pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan on Sunday at Saratoga after preparing for their campaigns in Florida this winter.

The race was rescheduled from Saturday because of heavy rain in the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., area and was shortened to 1 1/8 miles from 1 3/16 miles on the inner turf track.

The recent passing of their conditioner in late May was deeply felt across the racing community and the trio will now look to add to the trainer’s much-respected legacy for Clement’s son and longtime assistant, Miguel.

“Dad loves the Manhattan, and this was the plan a long time ago,” Miguel Clement said of the trio’s entry in a race that Christophe won with Forbidden Apple in 2001, Gio Ponti in 2009 and Winchester in 2010. “Historically speaking, it’s been a terrific race. It’s probably one of the best races that we have because it’s a race where you have the best stayers and the best milers all meeting in the middle.

“All three horses are doing very well and it’s exciting,” Clement added. “It’s time to run.”

Leading the charge for Clement is LSU Stables’ multiple Grade 1-winner Far Bridge, whose win in the 1 3/8-mile Man o’ War (G2) on May 10 at Belmont at the Big A marked the final graded stake- victory for Christophe and graded-stakes win number 239 after a storied 34-year career. In the Man o’ War, Far Bridge was piloted by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario to a stalking one-length victory under a hand ride, taking command in the final turn and driving home in a final time of 2:17.24.

Far Bridge returns to the course that saw him upset the Sword Dancer (G1) in August, a pacesetting victory by one length over Measured Time. He switched up tactics next out with a stalk-and-pounce score over War Like Goddess in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) in September at Belmont at the Big A.

“If you want, he can be on the lead, and has tactical speed if you need it,” Clement said. “He can also come from last and has a great turn-of-foot. That makes him very tough. He’s not dependent on ground or pace. He can do whatever you’d like.”

Far Bridge has won four of his last five starts, all with Rosario at the helm, including the Pan American (G3) to kick off his campaign in March at Gulfstream Park.

Clement said the pairing of Rosario and Far Bridge is easy to summarize.

“They’re a dynamic duo. I think that’s the best way to put it,” he concluded.

Clement said Far Bridge, who also won the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) as a sophomore for trainer Todd Pletcher, likely would prefer a bit more ground than he’ll cover on Saturday but that his talent should allow him to put forth a strong effort.

“He’s top class,” Clement said. “He has an affinity for Saratoga, and in terms of distance, I’m sure he would appreciate more. But but he’s so versatile, and he’s probably good enough that he can handle a range of distances. Top-class horses, even if it’s not their optimal distance, they still win.”

The pair of multiple graded stakes-winner Deterministic and dual Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run arrive from a 1-2 finish in the nine-furlong Fort Marcy (G2) on May 3 at Belmont at the Big A, a race that saw Deterministic set a track record of 1:45.70 over the outer turf.

“He’s doing well and he’s versatile,” Clement said of Deterministic, who seeks his first Grade 1 score for owners St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable.

The 4-year-old Liam’s Map dark bay flashed his talents early in his career on dirt, graduating impressively in August 2023 here and returning last March to win the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct before a pair of off-the-board efforts in graded dirt routes at the Big A. A switch to turf brought back the spark he showed earlier in the year, and the colt has never been off-the-board in six starts over the lawn.

His 6: 3-2-1 turf record includes Grade 3 wins last year in the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs and the Hill Prince at the Big A, as well as a third in his lone try at the Grade 1 level in last year’s Saratoga Derby Invitational won by Carson’s Run. He began his current campaign with a pacesetting second in a nine-furlong off-the-turf allowance in April at Keeneland.

Deterministic already had a race on his 2025 resume heading into the Fort Marcy, and now the same can be said for West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey’s Carson’s Run after his brave Fort Marcy effort behind his stablemate in his first start off a more than five-month layoff.

“He needed a race under his belt. I think he’s improved from the run,” Clement said. “There’s plenty of him, plenty of substance. He will only benefit from a race under him. I thought he ran a terrific race.”

Carson’s Run already has a win over course and distance in the Saratoga Derby, his second top-level victory after taking the Summer as a juvenile at Woodbine. The 4-year-old Cupid colt’s sophomore campaign also included a win in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G3) in October at Belmont at the Big A and a runner-up effort in the Nashville Derby (G3) in September at Kentucky Downs.

While a powerhouse trio looms large for the Clement barn, there are no guarantees in a loaded field that includes dual Grade 1-winning New York-bred Spirit of St Louis, who is also in the conversation of divisional sovereignty alongside Far Bridge.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn’s 6-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro has flourished this year against open company after two seasons running against almost exclusively state-bred company, often trouncing his competition with seven wins, including four stakes from 11 outings against fellow New York-breds. In October, trainer Chad Brown tried the evergreen dark bay against graded competition for the first time when a 2 1/2-length fifth in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

Two starts later, Spirit of St Louis more than proved he belonged in the big leagues, notching a rallying neck score in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in January at Gulfstream Park. A fourth in the Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) in March at Fair Grounds did little to dissuade the betting public on May 3 at Churchill Downs, where Spirit of St Louis was last seen scoring another Grade 1 triumph in the Turf Classic as the 3-1 post-time favorite.

“He’s remarkably consistent this horse,” Brown said. “He’s reached a level this year that I didn’t even see coming. I’m just trying to keep him where he’s at right now, happy and sound.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Spirit of St Louis is a full-brother to Grade 1-winner Bar of Gold, who found her best stride sprinting over the dirt to victory in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

A neck back of Spirit of St Louis in the Pegasus World Cup Turf was Integration, a last-out seventh in the Turf Classic at Churchill.

Trained by three-time Manhattan-winning Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the Quality Road 5-year-old has placed in four Grade 1s, and boasts graded victories in the 2023 Hill Prince (G2) and 2024 Red Smith (G2), both over the Aqueduct turf, and the 2023 Virginia Derby (G3) at Colonial.

The West Coast racing scene will be represented by Amerman Racing’s classy Kentucky homebred Endlessly, who stretches out from a third in the one-mile American (G3) on April 20 at Santa Anita Park off a more than nine-month layoff.

“He’s doing very well,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “It is nice to have him back. Obviously these big turf races will kind of be on his schedule all summer long.”

The 4-year-old Oscar Performance bay began his career going 3-for-3 in 2023, including Grade 3 scores in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf at its namesake oval and the Zuma Beach at Santa Anita Park. He went on to post a respectable sophomore campaign that was led by wins on synthetic in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields and the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park en route to off-the-board finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) on turf to close out the year.

Completing the field are Grade 3-placed Corruption for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, and the streaking Tucson, a $1.3 million yearling purchase who makes his stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Highway Robber was scratched.