Clement well-represented with trio of top turf routers in G1 Resorts World Casino 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 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on June 7 at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival after preparing for their campaigns in Florida this winter. 

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 as they make their first start 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 three times with Forbidden Apple [2001], Gio Ponti [2009] and Winchester [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.”

The Manhattan [Race 12], a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for older horses, is one of eight graded stakes slated for Saturday’s loaded 14-race card headlined by the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 13. First post is 10:45 a.m. Eastern. 

Leading the charge for Clement is LSU Stables’ multiple Grade 1-winner Far Bridge, whose win in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 Man o’ War on May 10 at Belmont at the Big A marked the final graded stakes 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 Grade 1 Sword Dancer 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 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic 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 Grade 3 Pan American 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 Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational as a sophomore for trainer Todd Pletcher, would likely 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 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.” 

Rosario will guide Far Bridge from the outermost post 9. 

The pair of multiple graded stakes-winner Deterministic [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche] and dual Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run [post 4, Dylan Davis] arrive from a 1-2 finish in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Fort Marcy on May 3 at Belmont at the Big A, a race that saw Deterministic set a new 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 Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack 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 boasts a win over course and distance in the aforementioned 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 Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational in October at Belmont at the Big A and a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Nashville Derby 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 [post 6, Manny Franco], 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 [four stakes] from 11 outings against fellow New York-breds. In October, Brown tried the evergreen dark bay against graded competition for the first time when a 2 1/2-length fifth in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile 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 Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park. A fourth in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic 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 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic as the 3-1 post-time favorite. 

“He’s remarkably consistent this horse,” the gelding’s five-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad 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.” 

While Spirit of St Louis has successfully answered the question of class, he is now left to prove his ability beyond nine furlongs. The presence of Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winner Lemon Drop Kid on the bottom side of his pedigree suggests he’ll pass the test. 

“We’ll try it – he’s certainly bred for it,” Brown said of the distance. “I would have thought last year that his best distance was a mile, and this year, he’s proven to be effective beyond that, which is a pleasant surprise.” 

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 West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing’s Integration [post 2, Flavien Prat], 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 Grade 2 Hill Prince and 2024 Grade 2 Red Smith – both over the Aqueduct green – and the 2023 Grade 3 Virginia Derby at Colonial. Though he has not contested Saturday’s distance in his 13 starts, he did finish a game second in last year’s Grade 1 Arlington Million going a touch farther at 10-furlongs. 

The West Coast racing scene will be represented by Amerman Racing’s classy Kentucky homebred Endlessly [post 1, Umberto Rispoli], who stretches out from a third in the one-mile Grade 3 American 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 a perfect 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 Listed El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields and the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park en route to off-the-board finishes in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on turf to close out the year. 

McCarthy pointed to Endlessly’s route stakes wins as evidence to support that Endlessly will relish the added distance in the Manhattan. 

“I don’t think it is an issue for him. I think he is wanting more ground,” McCarthy said. “In his victories last year in the El Camino Real Derby and the Jeff Ruby at one mile and an eighth, he was very good. I don’t think going one mile and three-sixteenths on the grass is going to be an issue for him.”

Completing the field are graded stakes-winner Highway Robber [post 3, Cristian Torres] for trainer Brian Lynch, Grade 3-placed Corruption [post 8, Jose Ortiz] for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse; and the streaking Tucson [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a $1.3 million yearling purchase that makes his stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. 

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