The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series continues this weekend with the Christophe Clement Turf Stakes Saturday at Saratoga. The $750,000, Grade 1 stakes was previously named the Sword Dancer Stakes and this year is renamed after the late Hall of Fame trainer Christophe Clement. The 1 ½-mile test on Saratoga’s inner turf course offers an automatic berth to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Four winners of this race have gone on to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf that same year: Theatrical (1987), Fraise (1992), Better Talk Now (2004) and most recently Main Sequence in 2014. This year’s edition brings together a field of seven, with six entrants having a graded or group stakes win on their résumé and four with over $1 million in lifetime earnings.
Here’s a look at the field from the inside (rail) post position out:
Despite being one of four European-bred entrants, Ancient Egypt is the only horse making his North American debut in this spot. The Irish-bred son of Frankel is also the only 3-year-old in this group and is coming off back-to-back narrow runner-up finishes for trainer Charlie Johnston in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and Cygames Prix de Paris at Longchamp. David Egan, who spend time riding in Florida before moving back to Europe, travels back across the pond to stay aboard Ancient Egypt for his first appearance in North America since March 14. Tawny Port, the veteran of the group at the age of 7 with more than $2.7 million in career earnings, won the Belmont Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga by 2 ½ lengths last time out on June 4 in his 32nd career start. The 7-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile will be making his ninth start for Miguel Clement after previously being trained by Miguel’s late father and the new namesake of this race. Kendrick Carmouche will be aboard Tawny Port for the first time. Ole Crazy Bone, who was claimed for $100,000 in of 2025, has yet to finish out of the exacta since switching to the Mike Maker barn and has two Grade 2 wins since. The 6-year-old Ghostzapper gelding won gate-to-wire last time out in the Bowling Green Stakes Presented by Emerald Ecovations at Saratoga on July 11. Irad Ortiz Jr. was named to ride; however, he will be replaced as he is recovering from an injury and will be off all his mounts until Aug. 22. Flavien Prat, who was aboard four of the seven Christophe Clement Stakes entrants in their most previous starts, opts to stay on Program Trading Saturday for trainer Chad Brown. Program Trading, a 6-year-old ridgling by Lope de Vega, is coming off back-to-back stakes wins at Monmouth Park, winning the Monmouth Stakes on June 13 by two lengths and the United Nations Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths last time out on July 18. He will be making his first career start at this 1 ½-mile distance. Fort George shipped to North America in July and finished runner-up by just a nose in the Bowling Green to Ole Crazy Bone last time out for trainer Ed Walker. Kieran Shoemark, who was aboard for all four of the gelding’s starts at Meydan earlier this year as well as in the Bowling Green, retains the mount. Minaret Station, the 3-1 morning-line favorite in this race, finished third by a half-length last time out to Ole Crazy Bone and Fort George in the Bowling Green. The 4-year-old Instilled Regard colt will be making his first start at the 1 ½-mile distance for trainer Will Walden and will have Jose Ortiz back aboard. Survie, a 5-year-old mare by Churchill, shipped from England to win Saratoga’s Glens Falls Stakes less than two weeks ago on Aug. 2 in her North American debut. The millionaire mare will try to “beat the boys” for trainer George Boughey with red-hot Manny Franco aboard.
Analysis and Main Contenders:
Despite being the youngest entrant, Ancient Egypt is a formidable contender against this group and brings a lot of potential to the table with a solid value at 5-1 morning-line odds. He won his first two career starts at Beverley and Goodwood in England before but finished seventh in his stakes debut to close out his 2-year-old season in 2025. He then came back on May 1 of this year to win the Newmarket Stakes by two lengths off of a layoff of just over seven months and stretching out to 1 ¼ miles. Ancient Egypt then finished a distant eighth when extending to a mile and a half in the Epsom Derby, but just 13 days later, he rebounded to finish second by just a neck and 10 lengths clear of the third-place finisher in the 1 ½-mile King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. Ancient Egypt followed that up with an equally impressive performance again at the 1 ½-mile distance in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, runner-up by just a head in a thrilling four-horse finish to Maltese Cross, who previously ran second in the Epsom Derby.
In both the King Edward VII and Grand Prix de Paris, Ancient Egypt pressed the pace before unleashing a quick turn of foot into the stretch against talented horses. While he was second best in both those Group races, Ancient Egypt is certainly on an upward trajectory and should improve upon those performances when shipping to North America. Another meaningful positive is regular rider David Egan making the trip from Europe to stay aboard for just one of two scheduled mounts at Saratoga for the weekend. As noted above, Egan recently moved from Florida to Europe and is making his first trip back to the continent presumably due to this horse’s talent and his chance at qualifying for the Breeders’ Cup. Trainer Charlie Johnston is also making an irregular move and is clearly targeting the Longines Turf with this race as he has not made a start in North America in over three years. Ancient Egypt should be sitting very close to the pace, if not setting the fractions himself, and could very well hold this group at bay down the lane and win at solid odds.
Fort George is an intriguing 4-year-old Territories gelding trained by Ed Walker. He made his North American debut on July 11 at Saratoga when finishing second by just a nose in the 1 3/8-mile Bowling Green Stakes to Ole Crazy Bone and earning a 113 Equibase Speed Figure. Fort George pressed the pace in second for the entirety of the race and fought hard only to narrowly miss, and making a stretchout in distance in this spot could be incredibly advantageous – not to mention this will be Fort George’s second start off a nearly four-month layoff with a big opportunity to improve upon that performance. Fort George has been consistent throughout his career, only finishing out of the top three twice from 13 career starts. His top three mark on turf is nine-for-10. Prior to the Bowling Green, Fort George spent the winter at Meydan and ran well, winning once and finishing second twice. One of those runner-up finishes came behind recently retired turf champion Rebel’s Romance in a 1 ½-mile turf stakes. Regular rider Kieran Shoemark is traveling from Europe for this lone mount on Saturday. Fort George’s 9-2 morning-line odds offer solid value considering that he has run well against some of the best turf horses in the world this year.
Program Trading ranks first in just about every statistical category among the Christophe Clement field. The 6-year-old is ranked first in early pace with a 110.4, middle pace with a 110.9 and late pace with a massive 119.5. Program Trading also ranks first in average class with a 115 and has an average 111 Equibase Speed Figure, with a career high of 121. At the ages of 3 and 4, Program Trading won three Grade 1 turf stakes. He then went winless in seven starts starting in summer 2024 up to earlier this year, but he’s recently returned to winning form at the age of 6. After losing his first three 2026 starts with one third-place finish, he shipped to Monmouth Park and won back-to-back stakes as the odds-on favorite – the Monmouth Stakes held at 1 1/8 miles and the 1 3/8-mile United Nations Stakes. In the United Nations, Program Trading made an impressive run move up from sixth and 11 ½ lengths back after six-eighths of a mile to take the lead at the top of the stretch and draw clear to a 2 ¾-length victory. While the Christophe Clement Stakes will be his first start at a mile and a half, Program Trading could benefit by stretching out, especially if he has a fast pace to close into. A notable positive is that Flavien Prat opts to stay aboard; as noted above, he rode Tawny Port, Ole Crazy Bone, and Survie to stakes wins in their prior starts. With his successful connections, ability to close, and recent winning form, Program Trading is a solid contender to win or at the very least hit the board.
The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races is Tawny Port (116), Ole Crazy Bone (115), Minaret Station (112) and Survie (107).
Win Contenders in Preference Order:
Ancient Egypt
Fort George
Program Trading
