Viewers watching any of the broadcasts the New York Racing Association produces for FOX are sure to be struck by Acacia Clement's expertise, self-assuredness, and vivacious personality. They would never imagine she was once a shy child.
But she was. Painfully so.
Her emergence as Miss Connecticut Outstanding Teen in 2009, Miss Connecticut in 2014, and a top-15 finish in Miss America competition transformed her.
"I really credit the pageants in helping me come out of my shell and making me a good public speaker," said Clement. "It laid a lot of the foundation for what I do as a profession now. It helped me get over the trepidation and nervousness of being in front of people and being on camera."
So did her study of ballet from the time she was 3. For so long, her dream was to perform at the highest levels. She appeared on course to do that when she studied with the Joffrey Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.
"The world of ballet is something I loved so deeply and it has given me so much over the years," Clement said. "It teaches you so much about what hard work and perseverance can do."
As she grew physically and emotionally, though, she began to doubt whether she was destined to be a ballerina. She reached 5'9" in height—and that was a problem.
"It was going to be tough for me as far as finding a partner," she explained.
The Connecticut native began to look at alternatives when she enrolled at Fordham University. She had inherited a passion for horses from her mother, Sherrie Courtney, an accomplished horsewoman. Acacia had learned to ride at a young age and gone on to compete in hunter-jumper and dressage events.
Finally, she told her mother, "I've got to find my way into a career in horse racing."
That was hard for Sherrie to hear. The thought that her daughter would never dance again after attaining such a high level was difficult to absorb.
"When we made that decision, it was like a death in our family because it had been part of our lives since she was 3 years old," Sherrie said.
Clement decided to major in communications at Fordham and that was fortuitous. She could see a way forward, a path that combined her love and knowledge of horses with her newfound confidence in front of cameras and crowds.
Upon her graduation from Fordham, she received her first big opportunity when Mike Penna added her to the Horse Racing Radio Network team for the 2015 Kentucky Derby (G1), an unforgettable race that launched American Pharoah 's successful bid for the first Triple Crown in 37 years.
Gulfstream Park hired her a year later. Since 2019 she has filled a variety of roles for the New York Racing Association. During the prestigious summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, she is a paddock analyst for Saratoga Live. She also has served as a host and analyst on America's Day at the Races.
Saratoga racegoers find her insights particularly helpful as they handicap that afternoon's card. "She's got a great eye," said Eric Donovan, NYRA's senior director of television. "Maggie Wolfendale sets the standard for that and Acacia is right there with her."
Whether it involved ballet or a pageant, Clement learned the importance of preparation. That serves her well now.
"It takes time to become a good paddock reporter because so much of it is familiarity with the horses. I keep extensive notes on every horse I see so I'm able to tell if there is a major difference from the last time to today," Clement said. "Sometimes that can be really noteworthy, if it's negative or positive. I do a ton of research going into the day."
In one way or another, horses fill each day. She married Miguel Clement in March, 2022. He had been an assistant to his father, Christophe, before taking over the family's powerful training operation when Christophe died in late May.
Acacia is most proud of establishing Racing for Home, which focuses on re-training Thoroughbreds that can no longer race and finds new homes for them. She has handled the administrative end since she started the organization in 2010.
Sherrie is hands-on in overseeing the day-to-day care at a farm in Somers, Conn. Her father, Brian, is an attorney who does not hesitate to jump into the stall when grooming is needed. Racing for Home is accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
"We're not as big as some other organizations," Clement noted, "but I think with each of the horses in our care, we've been able to make a significant difference."
When Clement reflects on her young but incredibly full life, it all has a meant-to-be feel.
"The universe has a funny way of working," she said. "It pulled me back to the horses in the end, which I'm incredibly grateful for."
This feature is part of America's Best Racing's Women in Racing series.
