Survie accomplishes Christophe Clement Turf mission

British-based mare Survie achieved her main aim of a Grade 1 laurel, and the added perk of a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), with a superb last-to-first burst in Saturday’s $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf (G1) at Saratoga. 

In a poignant twist, Survie was initially trained in France by Nicolas Clement, the brother of the late Christophe, in whose honor the race was renamed this year. Only one other female has won this 1 1/2-mile turf feature, Anka Germania (1988), in its former incarnation as the Sword Dancer. 

Survie’s victory was meaningful in a different way for her current trainer, George Boughey. He just suffered a blow earlier this week with the injury-forced retirement of stable star Bow Echo, who was already ticketed for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). At least Survie fulfilled his long-range plan to perfection, securing her spot at the championships at Keeneland Oct. 31.

Boughey hatched a two-race plot for Survie at the Spa. The course-and-distance Glens Falls (G2) for turf distaffers was designed to serve as her warm-up for the Clement. The timetable between races was compressed when the Glens Falls was postponed three days due to torrential rain, but Survie still hit the bullseye on both targets.

The same couldn’t be said for fellow British shipper Ancient Egypt, who was bet down to 1.98-1 favoritism in the expectation that he’d be on or near the controlling speed in the Clement. Instead, the three-year-old failed to break well enough to leverage his rail draw, wound up further back in the pack, and churned on for fourth. 

Even if Ancient Egypt had put himself in the right position, the Saratoga weather turned against him. Ironically, the only reason he made the trek was for a 1 1/2-mile Grade 1 race on quick ground, and he didn’t get it after Friday rain left the course yielding. 

Survie minded neither the change in conditions nor the change of rider. Although she lost her Glens Falls pilot, Flavien Prat, to the Chad Brown-trained Program Trading, in the Clement Turf, she picked up the hot-riding Manny Franco. He adhered to Boughey’s instructions to ride her as Prat did – unhurried early and relying on her acceleration late – and Survie delivered.

The Clement Turf pace ended up being as glacial as the Glens Falls. Ole Crazy Bone loped through fractions of :26.24, :52.56, and 1:18.98. Minaret Station attended him, and the tempo began to lift passing the mile in 1:43.92. 

Rounding the final turn, Minaret Station accosted Ole Crazy Bone, and the stalking Program Trading ranged up to challenge at the top of the lane. As Ole Crazy Bone faded, Minaret Station and Program Trading appeared to have the battle to themselves.

Then Survie, who still had the entire field in front of her in midstretch, came swooping down the outside to outkick them all. Along in time by three-quarters of a length, the daughter of Churchill clocked 2:31.55 and returned $10.96.

“She was great, wasn’t she,” Boughey told NYRA publicity from afar, at the Arqana yearling sale in France. “She had to be very good from where she was with the slow splits. She’s been training for this race, and it (the Glens Falls) was the perfect lead-up race into it. She showed possibly an even better turn of foot today.

“Her stamina is a big thing, and the fact that she has that turn of foot, we were hopeful she could get out of a bit of trouble if she needed to. Manny gave her as good a ride as he could from an unpromising position – I think he lost his position down the back straight and she was very, very game. That turn of foot that she’s got is pretty lethal out in America.”

Franco credited that kick for propelling him into the winner’s circle.

“I tried to recover (entering the backstretch) and ride her with patience, but when I asked her to go, she just took off with me, and I was just the passenger after that.

“The trainer told me, ‘don't rush her, give her time, and come late. Ride her the way Flavien rode her,’ so that's what I did.

“The ground wasn't bad. It's good, but it's not soft-soft. I think she loved it.”

Minaret Station fended off Program Trading by a half-length for second. Ancient Egypt maneuvered into the clear and made an effort for fourth. The British challenge was whittled down to two with the scratch of Fort George, or else the raiders might have managed to fill three of the four spots in the superfecta.  

Ancient Egypt’s jockey, David Egan, summed up his performance.

“Typical European, not as quick as these American ones,” Egan said of the colt who habitually races in a forward position in Europe. “The rain yesterday didn't help. He's a horse who gets into a rhythm close to the front end. I was able to get on the back of Flavien (Prat aboard Program Trading), but from the half-mile down I was squeezing him along, and he just wasn't quick enough on that slow turf."

Tawny Port checked in fifth as the sentimental choice, trained by Christophe Clement’s son, Miguel. Ole Crazy Bone trailed.

Survie’s new career high advanced her record to 20-6-3-5 with approximately $1.5 million in earnings. Her marquee European win came as a sophomore in the 2024 Prix de Malleret (G2). Hitherto a Group 1 bridesmaid with a near-miss in the 2024 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) (G1), she placed in last year’s Pretty Polly (G1) and Prix Jean Romanet (G1) as well as in the Feb. 14 Neom Turf Cup (G1) versus males on Saudi Cup Day. 

Purchased by Coolmore connections for more than $2.6 million at Tattersalls last December, Survie races in Michael Tabor’s colors stateside. She was racing for his wife, Doreen, earlier this season. 

Her new ownership transferred her to Boughey to make a Group/Grade 1 winner of her, as he did with another high-profile Coolmore acquisition, the sprinter Believing, in 2025. 

“For everyone back at the stable in the U.K., this is a massive milestone for us,” Boughey said. “We’ve been lucky enough to have two Group 1 winners for Coolmore now, and to get the support of Michael and Doreen Tabor with a filly that was already a Group 2 winner in Europe is just a credit to everyone that is working very hard to produce these results.

“Credit has to go to (traveling assistant) Antonia Peck, who rides the horse every day at home and has been out there (in Saratoga) for a few weeks. She’s a very good rider for me and has produced her beautifully to put in a very good Group 1 performance, I think.”

Boughey confirmed that Survie will take on males again in the Breeders’ Cup.

“Yes. Very much so. The plan was always to run her twice and then bring her home and prepare her for Keeneland,” her trainer said. “I’d like to get her back home and give her an easy time for a little bit - she doesn’t take a huge amount of training - and then ship her out with the normal horses for the Breeders’ Cup. I think she’ll fly home Wednesday or Thursday this week.”

Franco later made it a Saturday stakes sweep aboard Brad Cox’s Cadenza ($10.08) in the $200,000 Galway S. The Stonestreet Stables runner also went last-to-first, not so much by design as by a tardy start. Recovering to unleash a bold circling move on the far turn, Cadenza scored by 1 1/2 lengths. The Charlatan filly covered 5 1/2 furlongs on the yielding Mellon course in 1:03.91.

Epic Lady Luck nipped early pacesetter Gerrards Cross for runner-up honors. Mythical came charging late for fourth, just missing the placings in a photo.

Cadenza, who was most recently third to division leader Cy Fair in the course-and-distance Coronation Cup (G3), sports a mark of 9-4-1-3, $397,487.

“Definitely wasn’t the trip that we expected because she got left out of the gate,” Franco recapped. “I’m in the back of the pack, but at the same time it worked out great. They were moving in front, so I was happy. By the three-eighths pole, I took her to the outside and she started eating up ground. I was happy with the way she was doing it.”