The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Christophe Clement, the master horseman whose career was defined by elegance, precision, and unforgettable triumphs. Best known for guiding the longshot Tonalist to a stunning 2014 Belmont Stakes victory, Clement passed away on May 25, 2025, at the age of 59.
On Saturday, NYRA announced that the $750,000 Sword Dancer (G1) will be renamed the Christophe Clement Turf beginning in 2026, honoring the trainer’s record five wins in the prestigious Saratoga turf route. The gesture ensures that his name, achievements, and influence will echo through one of the track’s marquee events for generations.
Following the announcement, his son and longtime assistant, Miguel Clement, who has since taken over the stable, shared a short but deeply moving message: “This one is for you, Dad .” Today, Miguel will send LSU Stables’ Far Bridge into the starting gate in Race 10, aiming to defend the Sword Dancer title his father claimed just a year ago—one of the final Grade 1 victories of his extraordinary career.
This one is for you Dad https://t.co/UIPDMVDYbC
— Clement Racing Stable (@clementstable) August 9, 2025
Clement’s résumé was rich with milestones: the Belmont Stakes in 2014, a Breeders’ Cup victory in 2021, 2,576 career wins, and over $184 million in purse earnings. For more than three decades, he was respected across the racing world not just for his record, but for his unwavering professionalism and grace.
Born in Paris and steeped in the sport through his father, Miguel Sr., Clement honed his craft in France with the famed Alec Head stable before moving to the U.S. There, he worked under Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey before launching his own operation in 1991—winning the very first race he saddled at Belmont Park.
Clement’s life was cut short by metastatic uveal melanoma, a rare but aggressive form of eye cancer that affects only about 5% of melanoma cases in the U.S., yet spreads in up to half of them. His passing left a void in the sport, but with the Christophe Clement Turf, his name will forever ride alongside the thundering hooves at Saratoga.
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