I got to know Christophe Clement a little when I worked at Payson Park Training Center in Florida a couple of winters ago. If I have met a trainer with a more acute intelligence, I can’t name them.
The Belmont Stakes-winning trainer’s mind moves at seemingly three times the speed of most people. He is constantly engaged and seemingly has considered opinions on almost any subject, one minute discussing the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the next marching over to a rider and dressing him down because a keeper on the bridle had been unsecured.
I suspect he is an avid reader as he was seemingly well versed by 6am each morning on the stories reported in all the racing publications. He congratulated me one morning on a review of my book before I even knew there was a review of my book.
The son of outstanding Paris trainer Miguel Clement, the 55-year-old is still very much the well-dressed Frenchman despite having spent half his life in the States. For four years before he set up as a trainer in the USA, though, he was assistant trainer to two-time Epsom Derby winner Luca Cumani in Newmarket in the UK.
I spoke to Cumani in the hope of eliciting some juicy story, but he had nothing but praise for his former assistant. “If he wasn’t the very best assistant I ever had, then he would have to be very close. He didn’t miss anything. We have remained friends and still speak regularly.”
That is high praise, especially considering how young Clement was when taking that role. He apparently lied about his age in efforts to secure the job. “He told me he was 21 or 22, but we found out later he was actually two years younger than that,” said Cumani.
I said to Cumani I wasn’t sure if I should bring up mention of the Breeders’ Cup (Clement has had six second places but has yet to taste victory). “Please do,” said Cumani. “And remind him that I have won one!”
Christophe Clement has been nominated for the U.S. Hall of Fame, and hopefully before long should take his place there, for he is a credit to the sport, a man of unquestionable integrity for whom his honesty and proficiency and skill as a trainer are a matter of personal pride.
My favorite thing about him, though, is that he was the first person ever to buy a copy of my book from me, which he then asked me to sign and dedicate to his son and assistant, Miguel. And then he told me he was going to give it to Miguel as a Christmas present.
Now, I have no idea if Christophe suffers from some kind of gift-giving dyslexia, or whether Miguel had done something wrong and needed to be punished in an unusual way.
Considering Clement’s mental sharpness, I think it may well have been the latter. Whatever the reason, I still chuckle to myself when I imagine Miguel’s face opening his gift on Christmas morning, and finding himself presented with a book he’d never heard of, signed by the unknown assistant from a few barns down the lane.
Who do you think is the most important person in world racing history?
There are many impactful people in our sport, ranging from non-profits to breeders and everyone in between. If I had to pick one individual, I would say Sheikh Mohammed. I think his greatest contribution is actually his commitment to developing our future through the inception of the Flying Start program. It's a great way for the young to get involved and gain global exposure (with no student loans).
What is your favorite race and venue?
I love New York, so it’s a no-brainer that it has to be a NYRA track. Saratoga is of course exceptionally charming, but the buzz of Belmont Park on Belmont day is like no other and completely unmatched by any racetrack! My favorite race would be the Met Mile – every year it consistently brings some of the best talent.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
As a kid when Allez France won the Arc, as an assistant when Kahyasi won the Epsom Derby for Luca Cumani, as a trainer when Tonalist won the Belmont Stakes (see video below) with my whole family in attendance … But honestly, I’m fond of any race I win, so I won’t be too greedy.
What do you see as the biggest challenge racing faces today?
I think there are two main challenges racing is facing that we must address for future generations to be able to enjoy the sport as much as we do.
First, the perception of racing with the general public is a concern. Society needs to hear about the number of hours we dedicate to these athletes and the love and care we have for them every single day. The violations, the illegal drug schemes, and the claims from PETA is what they read, and we need to take control to shed light on the truth behind our sport and educate others on what makes it so exquisite.
Secondly, I think the workforce will continue to be an issue. As immigration and labor laws become more stringent and other cost factors increase, it will become tougher and tougher for trainers to operate.
If you could change one thing in racing what would it be?
This one is an easy one – I would first make more meaningful penalties for medication violations. For the sustainability of the sport, we need to clean it up, and we have to act now. I think measures can be taken such as larger fines, more enforced penalties (rather than running horses under an assistant’s name for example) and maybe even something more radical like not allowing horses to run for a certain amount of time post violation.
If I had two changes I could make, the second would be around more centralized control, such as a commissioner.
I think racing compared to other sports struggles to keep up with the innovation around us because of our governance model. Each player has their own independent objectives, and unfortunately our incentives aren’t always aligned, even though fundamentally they should always be the wellbeing of the horses and the sustainability of the sport.
The Jockey Club and other racetracks, such as NYRA and Keeneland, do the best they can, but at the end of the day we all need to be in it together to make meaningful change. I hope history will show that our generation of leaders all stepped in to be good ambassadors for the sport that we love.