Christophe Clementbefore becoming a successful trainer in the United States, she grew up in the racing family in her native France and passed away this weekend after suffering from a rare form of cancer. He was 59 years old.
“Unfortunately, if you’re reading this, it means I couldn’t beat my cancer,” Clement said in a message he left to his family to post on social media after his death. “As many people know, I have been battling an incurable disease, metastatic Hubour melanoma.”
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– Christoph Clement Racing Stable (@clementStable) May 25, 2025
Clement’s most famous victory came with tonariists at Pizza Bianca on the grass of the 2014 Belmont Stakes and the 2021 Breeders’ Cup boy Phillies. His best horse was Gio Ponti7th grade winner of a career spanning 2007-11 years with three Eclipse Awards and revenue of $6,169,800.
“When it comes to consistency, I can’t find anything much better than him,” Clement said in 2011. “Being consistent at the Grade 1 level makes you great and he won the seventh grade race, which is great, I’m all around him.
According to Equibase, Clément won 2,576 wins from 13,269. He began in Denmark in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in Keeneland in 1994 and ended in Farbridge in 2024 Saratoga sword dancer. He was a Hall of Fame finalist in 2025.
His recent victory came with a Burn notification at Monday’s Maiden Race at Finger Lakes. Nine horses were in his name in the race up to Wednesday.
Christophe Clement was born on November 1, 1965 to the Paris racing family. His father, Miguel Clement, was a leading French trainer.
As a young man applying what he learned about equestrianism, Clement worked for Alechead, the trainer who was the patriarch of France’s most prominent racing family.
He studied economics at the University of Assas in Paris, where he met his future wife Valerie.
Clement worked as an apprentice in the United States, first working at a farm built in Taylor and then at Hall of Fame trainer Sug McGaugey. He returns Europe, but not his home country of France. He worked as an assistant to Luka Kumani, based in Newmarket, Italy, to be based in England.
A permanent move towards America came in the early 90s, and success continued quickly. Clement trained the winners in his first race on October 20, 1991. That’s when Spectaculaire first finished on his neck as a 9-5 favorite in the Maiden Race on the Lawn at Belmont Park.
Clement was survived by his wife Valerie and his adult children Miguel and Charlotte. Miguel Clement is his father’s assistant trainer.
“I am truly honored to stabilize Clement in the competent hands of my son and longtime assistant Miguel Clement. This has been a continuous transition in the last few years. Success without succession is truly unsuccessful.
