Miguel Clement Stable Tour

Miguel Clement has taken over the stable from his father Christophe who died in May following a battle with cancer. Miguel, a longtime assistant to his father, will send out four horses in this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

INTRICATE SPIRIT (Juvenile Turf Sprint, 21.45 Friday)

This two-year-old son of Complexity has won two of three starts and was beaten three-quarters of a length in a Kentucky Downs allowance by a horse who came back to win a stakes.

His races have been from 5 1-2 to 6 1-2 furlongs.

“I don’t think five-eighths is an issue whatsoever, he’s got a tremendous amount of speed,” Clement said. “His game is to let him roll. Physically, he doesn’t look like a two-year-old. He’s probably the most impressive and imposing horse we have in the barn at the moment.

“Physically, he’s an absolute full-of-life, full-of-energy horse,” Clement added. “If anyone misbehaves before a race, it’s going to be him. Every day, he misbehaves to make my life stressful.”

BOTTAS (Juvenile Turf, 00.25 Sunday)

This two-year-old son of Vekoma has won both of his starts with a good turn of foot including a narrow victory in a traffic-filled trip in the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont at the Big A.

“He won from last to first with a dazzling turn of foot in his debut,” Clement said. “The other day he showed grit, we were stalking, had to endure all sorts of traffic issues in the stretch and he still won. The ability’s there.”

He is saddled with post 12 in this 14-horse field.

“He’s lightly raced, a lot of ability, hope he has enough maturity and experience to get it done,” Clement said. “Of course, we’re drawn in post 12. We’re going to have to work out a trip, but the horse himself is doing great.”

TAWNY PORT (Turf, 21.41 Saturday)

This six-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile has not won a race more than two years but he has eight top three finishes out of 13 starts including a nose defeat to Silawi in the Grade 1 Canadian International on October 4.

Clement liked the way he ran from well off the pace in that race and plans to have jockey Manny Franco employ similar tactics on Saturday.

“He showed another dimension in his last race in Canada where he came from off the pace, From that draw (post 12), there’s some pace on paper, I will take him back, save ground and come with one late run. I think he’s a live outsider and he will finish.”

BELLEZZA (Filly and Mare Turf, 00.25 Sunday)

This four-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Siyouni is two from four this year, both wins impressively achieved over firm ground, which she should get Saturday.  Her two defeats came over yielding turf.

“She’s actually training great, I’m very upset we drew post 12,” Clement said. “Don’t get me wrong, you have three formidable European fillies one formidable American filly. Does the American filly really want to go a mile-and-three-eighths? I don’t know but Bellezza does and she wants it firm. Her two races on firm turf I thought were dazzling, she won both times. She wants every bit of the mile-and-three-eighths.”

Clement said he skipped a potential prep in the Waya Stakes because he thought it would be better to come into the Breeders’ Cup fresh.