With victories in four of his past five starts, including a clear victory in the Man o' War Stakes (G2T) May 10 at Aqueduct Racetrack, LSU Stables' Far Bridge will try to continue that good form June 7 at Saratoga Race Course in the $1 million Manhattan Stakes (G1T).
Already a winner of grade 1 races at Belmont Park, Aqueduct, and Saratoga, Far Bridge will try to win a second top-level score at the Spa when he starts from the outside post in an expected field of nine older horses in the 1 3/16-mile Mellon Turf Course test. He finished third in last year's Manhattan.
Should Far Bridge secure the victory Saturday it would prove an emotional winner's circle celebration. Far Bridge, along with Manhattan entrants Carson's Run, a two-time grade 1 winner, and Deterministic, who enters off a front-running score in the Fort Marcy Stakes (G2T), are trained by Miguel Clement. Clement's father, Christophe Clement, died May 25 at age 59.
"Dad loves the Manhattan, and this was the plan a long time ago," Miguel Clement said of the trio's entry in a race Christophe won three times with Forbidden Apple (2001), Gio Ponti (2009), and Winchester (2010). "Historically speaking, it's been a terrific race. It's probably one of the best races that we have because it's a race where you have the best stayers and the best milers all meeting in the middle.
"All three horses are doing very well and it's exciting," Clement added. "It's time to run."
Joel Rosario, who has been aboard for those four wins in Far Bridge's past five starts, is scheduled to ride Saturday.
A 5-year-old son of multiple leading turf sire English Channel, Far Bridge returns to the course that saw him upset the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) on the front end in August. He switched up tactics next out with a stalk-and-pounce score over War Like Goddess in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) in September at Aqueduct.
"If you want, he can be on the lead, and has tactical speed if you need it," Clement said. "He can also come from last and has a great turn-of-foot. That makes him very tough. He's not dependent on ground or pace. He can do whatever you'd like."
Far Bridge is the second choice on the morning line at 3-1. The 5-2 favorite is gelding Spirit of St Louis, who already this year has captured the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Park and the Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs. Trained by multiple Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the 6-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro —Khancord Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid, rallied from ninth to win the latter—a 1 1/8 mile test.
The added sixteenth of a mile Saturday will add up to the longest race yet for Spirit of St Louis.
"We'll try it—he's certainly bred for it," Brown said. "I would have thought last year that his best distance was a mile, and this year, he's proven to be effective beyond that, which is a pleasant surprise."
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, June 7, 2025, Race 12Entries: Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Endlessly (KY) Umberto Rispoli 120 Michael W. McCarthy 20/1 2 2Integration (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 9/2 3 3Highway Robber (KY) Cristian A. Torres 120 Brian A. Lynch 6/1 4 4Carson's Run (KY) Dylan Davis 124 Miguel Clement 12/1 5 5Deterministic (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 122 Miguel Clement 9/2 6 6Spirit of St Louis (NY) Manuel Franco 124 Chad C. Brown 5/2 7 7Tucson (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Todd A. Pletcher 20/1 8 8Corruption (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Mark E. Casse 15/1 9 9Far Bridge (KY) Joel Rosario 124 Miguel Clement 3/1
