Clement Turf Stakes 2026
It’s been sultry at The Spa this summer and Saturday will be no different, as the spotlight race of the day’s card is the Christophe Clement Turf Stakes, the Grade 1 qualifier for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Turf on Halloween weekend at Keeneland. This race is typically known as the Sword Dancer Stakes, but was renamed this year in honor of Clement, the posthumously-elected Hall of Fame trainer who passed away from melanoma in May 2025. Clement won this race five times, so it seems like a fitting tribute.
This race is 12 furlongs, or 1 ½ miles around the Saratoga Race Course turf, as a field of seven, including four European-bred horses, will go for the biggest piece of the $750,000 purse. To say that there will be a crowd bias is an understatement, as Clement’s son Miguel is the trainer of Tawny Port, who drew the No. 2 post in Race 9 with a post time of 5:06 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 15.
Here are the Christophe Clement Turf Stakes post positions, horses, jockeys, trainers, and odds:
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Ancient Egypt | D. Egan | C. Johnston | 5-1 |
| 2 | Tawny Port | K. Carmouche | M. Clement | 8-1 |
| 3 | Ole Crazy Bone | I. Ortiz Jr. | M. Maker | 4-1 |
| 4 | Program Trading | F. Prat | C. Brown | 7/2 |
| 5 | Fort George | K. Shoemark | E. Walker | 9/2 |
| 6 | Minaret Station | J. Ortiz | W. Walden | 3-1 |
| 7 | Survie | M. Franco | G. Boughey | 6-1 |
The 1 and 7 are Irish-bred horses, while the 4 and 5 are British-bred, and those are usually tough horses to beat in these sorts of turf events, especially with the distance that is in play.
This race is for 3-year-olds and up, but Ancient Egypt is the only 3yo in the field. There are two 4yo, a 5yo, two 6yo, and Tawny Port is the elder statesman at 7yo.
Let’s check out the field and see what the options are:
1. Ancient Egypt (5-1; Egan/Johnston): The Irish-bred heads from the rail here, as he won his stakes debut in the Newmarket back in May, but hasn’t won in three tries since. This will be his US debut, as his most recent run was a solid second at Longchamp in the Cygames Grand Prix de Paris. That run may have eased some of the questions from critics, as his only previous G1 effort resulted in an eighth in the Betfred Derby at Epsom. You have to think Egan and Johnston like this horse, given that they were willing to spend the money to come stateside for the shot at the Breeders’ Cup, and this horse is tested at this distance. But, he’s also a question mark coming to the States.
2. Tawny Port (8-1; Carmouche/Clement): In a race that any horse can win, the sentimental favorite is Tawny Port. The son of Pioneerofthenile has only won six times in 32 career starts and has only hit the board 17 times overall, with six seconds and five thirds. After running 29 races over the last four years, this will be just his third start, but his last race was one of his most impressive data points. He won the Belmont Gold Cup Stakes here on the Saratoga turf in a two-mile scamper. But, he also went off as the second favorite in that race and he’s the long shot here, so that is a good indicator of the jump in class.
3. Ole Crazy Bone (6-1; TBD/Maker): The son of Ghostzapper is an eight-time winner, but has less than $2 million in career earnings, so this would be a really, really big score. His win in the G2 Bowling Green Stakes on the Spa turf last time out gave Maker the confidence to run him here. He also won a G2 at Kentucky Downs last year. Ole Crazy Bone only has three career graded stakes starts and none of them have come in a G1 field. Flavien Prat had the ride in the Bowling Green, but he’ll ride Program Trading here and Irad Ortiz Jr., who was supposed to have this mount, is out until next weekend with a swollen foot. So, Maker has to find the right rider.
4. Program Trading (7/2; Prat/Brown): Program Trading has 15 career starts and seven wins with over $2 million in winnings. He won four of his first five races and then went seven races without a win. With back-to-back victories, Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown felt like this was the time to take a shot. The last two wins have come in the listed Monmouth Stakes and the G2 United Nations Stakes. Prat has recent experience aboard four of the seven entries in this field, but he’s opted for Program Trading and his buddy Brown. As an accomplished rider, that’s a pretty big choice, especially since the No. 4 hasn’t gone 12 furlongs before.
5. Fort George (9/2; Shoemark/Walker): Maybe the hardest horse in the field to handicap, Fort George ran a strong second to Ole Crazy Bone in the Bowling Green Stakes. However, he also finished ninth in his only G1 race. We can debate whether or not this is a true G1 field since Program Trading is the only horse in the field with a win at that level, but the fact remains that this is a step up for the Ed Walker gelding. Perhaps continuity helps here, as Kieran Shoemark rides again. He was aboard for the early-season win at Meydan.
6. Minaret Station (3-1; J. Ortiz/Walden): Just the way that MMA bettors and fans say “styles make fights”, we can also say that “styles make races” and the main reason why Minaret Station is favored here is because of the promise that he showed with a deep closing effort in the Bowling Green. He finished third in that race, yet has a shorter price than those who finished ahead of him. The son of Instilled Regard and Irish-bred Beau Recall gets the summer meet’s top rider in Jose Ortiz. Furthermore, with three starts this year after just one last year – a win in the listed stakes American Derby – it seems like the form and trend line are shaping up well.
7. Survie (6-1; Franco/Boughey): The lone lady in the field starts from the outside post here following a win in the G2 Glens Falls right here at Saratoga. While that was a promising data point at the same distance as this race, it was Survie’s first win in over two years and came against a field of fillies and mares. While mixed-gender races are commonplace in Europe, they are far less common here. Last time she ran with the boys was two races ago in the listed Wolferton Stakes and she ran sixth.
Christophe Clement Turf Stakes Picks
A case can be made for any of the seven in this field for Race 9 on Saturday, but some cases are certainly stronger than others. Personally, I’ll trust Flavien Prat’s know-how and take the fact that he’s riding Program Trading as a good indicator that he thinks that’s the best horse in the field. I absolutely think Minaret Station will factor in, but Ancient Egypt really intrigues me on the inside. Along with the financial commitment of shipping the horse, rider David Egan, who only has one other mount on Saturday, is on hand as well.
Prediction
4 Program Trading
1 Ancient Egypt
6 Minaret Station
