Deterministic won an unforgettable Breeders' Cup Mile and deeply moved Miguel Clement
The son of Liam's Map held off the closing rally of Notable Speech at Keeneland to deliver a career-first Breeders' Cup victory for both trainer and jockey Kendrick Carmouche. A victory dedicated to two fathers who are no longer with us
By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special correspondent for Turf Diario in Lexington, Kentucky)
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (From a special correspondent).— Deterministic had to dig deep and show every ounce of his courage to capture the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), a $2-million contest at Keeneland. The horse trained by Miguel Clement made the most of a favorable trip, striking to the lead in the stretch and holding off by 3/4 of a length the powerful closing surge of Notable Speech (Dubawi), who was making the final appearance of his racing career.
The emotion was doubled. Clement secured his first Breeders' Cup victory with a horse originally conditioned by his father, the unforgettable Christophe Clement, who passed away last year. It was also the first success in the series for jockey Kendrick Carmouche, who was similarly marked by a personal family loss.
“My dad passed two years ago, and Mr. Clement passed a year later. They paved the way for Miguel and me to succeed,” expressed a deeply moved Carmouche. “This is the greatest sport in the world.”
Deterministic, who returned $12.10 on a win ticket, raced comfortably in close pursuit of Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile), who set early fractions of 23.31 for the opening quarter-mile and 47.01 for the half. Carmouche bided his time.As the pacesetter began to falter, he found the necessary seam to launch his attack and established a cushion that would prove decisive.
Notable Speech, the post-time favorite who had previously defeated Deterministic in the Woodbine Mile (G1), broke a step slow and was left with far too much ground to make up. William Buick set him loose with a furious stretch drive, taking huge bites out of the margin, but the wire arrived just in time for the winner. Lake Forest completed the trifecta, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up.
“We had a perfect trip. We were able to track the leaders and strike at just the right moment,” explained Clement. He added: “What happened in Canada was my fault. I snapped his win streak, and that hurt me deeply. This time we got it right.”
The son of Liam's Map, bred by Hinkle Farms and racing for St. Elias Stables and partners, bagged his eleventh victory in 18 lifetime starts. Prior to his runner-up effort at Woodbine, he had reeled off six consecutive victories; he now boasts twelve straight top-two finishes and over $4 million in career earnings.
Charlie Appleby lamented the tough beat for Notable Speech, who was competing for the final time: “He was a step slow away, and William had to work hard just to get into position. We wanted to send him out with a win, but the most important thing is that he finishes sound. He gave us so much joy.”
William Haggas was equally pleased with the third-place effort of Lake Forest (No Nay Never). They were followed home by Facteur Cheval (Ribchester), Ask Ikigomi (Lord Kanaloa), and Rhetorical (Not This Time).
The Mile provided a magnificent display of equine athleticism, but above all, a deeply human moment: Clement and Carmouche celebrating together a triumph that inevitably carried the cherished memory of those who helped them reach the pinnacle.
