News For June 2010
A stunning finish in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park June 5 landed the Clement Stable the top two spots in the prestigious grass race, as well as back-to-back wins for Christophe.
Overlooked in the betting, the mighty Winchester, a homebred for Bertram and Diana Firestone, was up in time for a half-length victory over his stable mate and dual Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti.
Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, Winchester was sent off at 21-1 in the 11-horse field of extremely accomplished turf runners. Castleton Lyons’ homebred Gio Ponti, last year’s winner of the $400,000 Manhattan, was sent off the even-money favorite with Ramon Dominguez in the saddle.
Congratulations to Christophe and his crew. You couldn’t have asked for a better result . . . well, perhaps a dead-heat!
En Fuego continued his hot streak by winning his second race in a row at Belmont Park on June 11. The gelded son of El Prado captured the turf allowance race by 1 ¾ lengths under Cornelio Velasquez. En Fuego carries the silks of partners, Jon and Sarah Kelly, Don and Joan Cimpl, and Joan and Jim Wiltz.
The stable enjoyed a placing in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park June 12 when the reliable Funny Moon finished third in the 1 1/16-mile dirt race. Ridden by Alan Garcia, Funny Moon won last year’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks for Mrs. C. Wilson McNeely III.
The stable headed south on June 19 and came home a winner after Exclusive Strike scored a victory at Philadelphia Park. A Smart Strike homebred for Green Hills Farm, Exclusive Strike showed great courage to get up for a neck win in the maiden grass race under Kendrick Carmouche.
Pennsylvania was the site of yet another winner for the stable when Mrs. C. Wilson McNeely III celebrated a victory with West Court in an allowance race at Presque Isle Downs June 22. The Gone West filly was a three-length winner under Pablo Morales.
Hot Money was on the money for owners Charles and Susan Harris when he won a starter allowance at Belmont Park on June 25. Ridden by Rajiv Maragh, the son of Not For Love was content to linger at the back of the pack in the turf race before showing a quick burst of speed in the final furlong to post a half-length victory.
The Boiling Springs might as well be called The Christophe Clement in the future, as Christophe has now won the stakes for the third time. Following in the footsteps of Seducer’s Song and Rutherienne, Strike It Rich won her third race in a row in the Grade 3 Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park on June 26. Strike It Rich, owned by Waterville Lake Stable, captured the turf stakes in wire-to-wire fashion under Garrett Gomez.
It was back to Philadelphia Park on June 29 with Montesquieu who rambled home a two-length winner under Kendrick Carmouche in a turf allowance race for owner Catherine Wills.
Christophe and Valerie Clement wish to thank Nancy Rokos for the exquisite photographs she has kindly provided them for the web gallery.
Nancy graduated from Philadelphia’s Moore College Art & Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Illustration.
The award-winning photographer has been a photojournalist since 1979, and her passion for equine photography was sparked when she became an owner of a Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse mare in the 1970’s.
Currently, Nancy is photographing today’s “Thoroughbred Racing Greats,” a collection that can be viewed on her website. Among the horses, are some recognizable residents of the Clement Stable.
Nancy’s services are available by appointment. Her work takes her to farms, private and public stables, and racetracks. Her photographs can be viewed at www.equinephoto-art.com. Nancy can be contacted at: wineee@yahoo.com