Survie surges past to take the Christophe Clement, NYRA Photo
Mary Eddy
A two-week turnaround from a win in the local Grade 2 Glens Falls did not hamper the George Boughey-trained Survie as she stormed from last-to-first to defeat male rivals in Saratoga Race Course’s Grade 1, $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf, a 1 1/2-mile inner turf route for 3-year-olds and up that was renamed this year to honor the life and legacy of the late Hall of Famer who won this event a record five times.
The Clement, previously named the Sword Dancer, awarded Survie a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in October at Keeneland as she became the first filly or mare to win this race since Anka Germania in 1988.
“She was great, wasn’t she? She had to be very good from where she was with the slow splits,” Boughey said. “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.”
Campaigned by Michael B. Tabor, Survie wheeled back from an equally-impressive victorious stateside debut in the Grade 2 Glens Falls versus fellow fillies and mares over course and distance on August 2 under Flavien Prat. With that rider committed to Program Trading in the Clement, the in-form Manny Franco picked up the mount and executed a well-timed ride to angle the 5-year-old Churchill mare out in the stretch and mow down her five rivals for the three-quarter-length victory in a final time of 2:31.55.
“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,” said Franco, who earned his second win in this event after guiding Channel Maker to victory in 2020.
Boughey said he was delighted with the ride from Franco.
“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,” the trainer said. “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.”
Survie emerged from the outermost post 6, and was unhurried as Ole Crazy Bone, last-out winner of the Grade 2 Bowling Green presented by Emerald Ecovations here, made his leisurely way to the front to mark splits of 26.24 seconds, 52.56 and 1:18.98 over the yielding turf.
Survie was a bit unsettled and last heading onto the backstretch as Prat angled Program Trading out to track a closer third in the three-path and just outside Minaret Station with Ole Crazy Bone still in command. Minaret Station was asked for more by Jose Ortiz after the mile in 1:43.92 and Program Trading was coaxed along through the last of three turns, but Ole Crazy Bone dug in determinedly while Survie could still see them all.
Franco angled Survie out around the slow-starting favorite Ancient Egypt after 10 furlongs in 2:07.70, and the talented mare unleashed her signature turn-of-foot once in the clear. Minaret Station and Program Trading slugged it out as they passed Ole Crazy Bone in the final eighth with Minaret Station showing the superior momentum of the two to take a brief lead, but there would be no denying Survie as she charged down the center of the course and won emphatically under a celebrating Franco.
Minaret Station held second by a half-length over Program Trading with the hard-luck Ancient Egypt rounding out the superfecta under David Egan. Tawny Port and Ole Crazy Bone completed the order of finish, while Fort George was scratched.
Boughey said a turf course with some give to it after heavy rain on Friday did not create any strong concerns for his prized mare.
“She’s pretty versatile ground wise,” he said. “She’s won on firm ground and she’s won on slow ground in Europe. She’s won on the all-weather and she’s trained very well on the dirt out there – she’s just very versatile.”
The conditioner was quick to credit traveling assistant Antonia Peck for her work with Survie since making her way to New York from England.
“Credit has to go to Antonia Peck, who rides the horse every day at home and has been out there for a few weeks,” Boughey said. “She’s a very good rider for me and has produced her beautifully to put in a very good Group 1 performance, I think.”
The long-term target for Survie is the Breeders’ Cup Turf, a race Boughey said he “very much” is looking forward to.
“The plan was always to run her twice and then bring her home and prepare her for Keeneland,” Boughey 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.”
Survie was purchased for $2,636,068 at last year’s Tattersalls December Mare Sale and followed with a win in January at Lingfield in England en route to a third against males in the 1 5/16-mile Group 1 Neom Turf Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia. She entered the Glens Falls to commence her American endeavors from a game sixth 3 1/2 lengths back of the victorious Map of Stars in Royal Ascot’s Wolferton on June 16.
Ortiz, aboard the Will Walden-trained Minaret Station, said Survie was just too good in the final dash to the wire.
“His kick was very good. Everybody kicked home,” Ortiz said. “We went in 52 and two, I think, so everybody kicked from the three-eighths pole to the wire. He was one of the horses that sustained his run, but that mare is amazing. She is very good.”
Egan offered perspective on the effort from the Charlie Johnston-trained favorite Ancient Egypt.
“Typical European, not as quick as these American ones,” Egan said. “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, but from the half-mile down I was squeezing him along and he just wasn’t quick enough on that slow turf.”
Survie’s American graded wins add to a robust 20-6-3-5 record that includes a win in the 2024 Group 2 Prix de Malleret at Longchamp when in the care of Nicolas Clement, brother to the race’s late namesake Christophe. She earned $412,500 for her Clement victory while returning $10.96 on a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $225,000 Mahony in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m.
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