Survie Wins Again, This Time in the Christophe Clement

With all of the concern about spacing between the three classic races, perhaps it will take a European trainer to saddle the next Triple Crown winner. For English-bred trainer George Boughey there was no hesitation in racing Michael Tabor's 5-year-old mare Survie (IRE) just 13 days after she won the Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course in her United States debut. Added to short rest, he entered her against some of the top older male grass horses in the Aug. 15, mile-and-a-half $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf Stakes (G1T) at the Spa. Short rest? Tough, grade 1 rivals? A mile-and-a-half distance? Take note, Triple Crown trainers. Even though she was last through 6 furlongs in a frigid 1:18.98, the talented mare showed the guys her heels as she rallied strongly in the stretch and registered a three-quarter-length triumph over Minaret Station in the initial running of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In turf stakes since it was renamed in memory of Hall of Fame trainer Christophe Clement, who died last year. "What a great filly she is to win two important races at Saratoga in the space of 13 days. It's a testament to the filly and to George Boughey and his team who have done a great job with her," said Adrian Wallace of the Coolmore team. "She's got a great turn of foot and being by Churchill, she is very close to our heart here at Coolmore." Wallace said Survie exited the Glens Falls at 1 1/2 miles against fillies and mares so well that the Clement was too inviting to sit out. "I think she came out of her last race so well. She came wide with that big sweeping run and it didn't seem to take too much out of her. So, I think they felt that she was here and they could take a chance in a race that suited her distance-wise," Wallace said. "She's very versatile. She's at the peak of her powers right now." With a free spot in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) sewed up, Boughey said the focus will be getting the Churchill (IRE) mare ready for the World Championships at Keeneland. "The plan was to run her twice and then bring her home and prepare her for Keeneland. I'd like to get her back home and give her an easy time for a little bit," said Boughey, adding that the grade 1-winning mare would return to Europe in the next four or five days. "Her stamina is a big thing. That turn of foot that she's got is pretty lethal out in America." Running on yielding turf, Ole Crazy Bone cantered through the early stages in :52.56 and 1:18.98. Still on the lead after 1 1/4 miles in 2:07.70, the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) winner weakened in the stretch and finished sixth and last. OXO Equine's Minaret Station, who was second throughout, forged to the front in the stretch, with Klaravich Stables' Program Trading (GB) moving up outside of him to mount a strong challenge. But neither could resist the late charge of Survie and jockey Manny Franco, who were still last at the eighth pole. They rallied on the far outside and swooped to the lead with 70 yards left, covering the distance in 2:31.55 as the 4-1 fourth choice ($10.96). "When I asked her to go, she just took off and I was a passenger from there," Franco said. Minaret Station, an Instilled Regard colt trained by William Walden, was second by a half-length over grade 1 winner Program Trading, a Lope de Vega (IRE) ridgling trained by Chad Brown. "He was one of the horses that sustained his run, but that mare is amazing," said Jose Ortiz, who rode Minaret Station. "She is very good." The 9-5 favorite, Ancient Egypt (IRE), a 3-year-old group 1-placed runner making his U.S. debut, was fourth, and Tawny Port, trained by Christophe Clement's son, Miguel, was fifth. "Typical European," said David Egan, who rode Ancient Egypt. "Not as quick as these Americans. The rain yesterday didn't help. From the half-mile down I was squeezing him along and he just wasn't quick enough on that slow turf." Out of the Le Havre mare Sotteville, Survie was bred by Franklin Finance and has won six of 20 starts for earnings of $1,500,565. With Boughey at the Arqana August Yearling Sale in France, Survie was saddled by traveling assistant Antonia Peck.