"One always dies too soon or too late. And yet, life is there, finished: the line is drawn, and it must all be added up." —Jean-Paul Sartre
Christophe Clement was in rare form on the evening of June 7, 2014, as twilight dissolved on the Belmont Park backstretch and a few reporters straggled over to the rich blanket of grass behind his barn. More than 100,000 fans had just watch Clement win the Belmont Stakes (G1) with Tonalist , or, more to the point, had just been crushed at the sight California Chrome losing the Belmont in yet another frustrating pursuit of the Triple Crown, and Clement was the most visible beneficiary.
Of course, he was not the villain of the piece. After being stepped on at the start by a horse trained by someone other than Clement, California Chrome could only manage a dead heat for fourth, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Still, the Frenchman was mugging for all it was worth, playfully poking the press for their Chrome obsession Belmont week while ignoring the legitimate opposition.
Patting himself down, as if to confirm his corporeal form, he declared, "Well, I'm still here."
We all laughed, which only encouraged Clement. Asked if he felt bad about beating California Chrome, he acknowledged the widespread disappointment and valiantly added, "I will try to get some sleep tonight."
Now he was rolling. Clement was nothing if not self-aware. He knew that the Belmont victory would do little to change his reputation as a trainer who specialized in turf runners. As to the next goal for Tonalist, he shrugged in mock frustration.
"Unfortunately, the Virginia Derby does not exist anymore," he said, referring to the grass prize offered at the temporarily shuttered Colonial Downs. "So he's going to keep racing on dirt for a while."
Everyone who has brushed with the best parts of racing has a Christophe Clement story. Those of us condemned to only occasional encounters are still envious of his New York regulars. Before she emigrated to California (lucky me), Julie Krone was one of them.
"I remember how he was so excited when the filly Danish came into the barn," Krone said, referring to the Irish daughter of Danehill who arrived in early September of 1994 after a nine-race European career. "He declared that she would win the Keeneland race, and everything he did with her from that point on was with that race in mind."
The race was the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T), to be run nearly two months hence. Clement nailed it when Danish won by 2 1/2 lengths under Krone at odds of 11-1, a fine afternoon for all concerned.
"Then there was the day I rode a terrible race for Christophe," Krone recalled. "When I came to him afterwards, he had just lit a cigarette. He took a drag and said, 'I know what you are going to say. Make it quick.' I hung my head and walked on."
Prior to his try in the 2005 Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Giacomo was stabled in a corner of the Shug McGaughey barn, adjacent to Clement's verdant courtyard. Since California horses rarely get to graze, John Shirreffs thought his colt would enjoy a few minutes acting like an everyday ruminant. And just look at all that beautiful grass. Before long, they were confronted by Christophe Lorieul, Clement's assistant.
"He asked us to please take our horse off the grass," Shirreffs said. "He said his boss is fanatical about his grass—he fertilizes it, waters it, seeds it."
Shirreffs apologized, no harm done, and Giacomo was led back to the McGaughey annex.
"Five or 10 minutes later, here comes Clement, striding across the grass," Shirreffs continued. "He doubled down on what his assistant told us. Wanted to make sure we got the message. I assured him that certainly I would keep our horse off his grass.
"That night we went to a local steak house, and Clement was two tables over," Shirreffs said. "I told the waitress to get a salad for that man over there. When she served Clement the salad, I went over and told him, 'I hope you enjoy the greens.' He looked at me and laughed, and after that we became pretty good friends, always joking about grazing on each other's grass."
"That's Christophe," said Jordan Erwin, a former exercise rider for Clement. "He was very particular about the look of his courtyard, and very protective. I'd see him out there making sure the bushes were trimmed just right."
Erwin went to work for Clement in the summer of 2015, not long after graduating from the North American Racing Academy, run at the time by Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron and later Remi Bellocq.
"From the beginning, I felt like I belonged," Erwin said. "I was still green, learning a lot, but they had a lot of horses, so they always put me on horses they knew I could ride. And I was included in all their outside activities, too. Christophe liked to take his people out to dinner. At work he was always very professional. But away from work he was so relaxed, and very funny to be around."
Erwin made it clear to her boss that her goal was to become a jockey.
"Christophe was very supportive," Erwin said. "He put me on a ton of horses to breeze, then he got me set up with Lacey Gaudet in Maryland. But I discovered riding races was not for me, so I went back to work for Christophe."
Then came the morning of Oct. 3, 2017. Erwin was galloping a filly out of the gate.
"She came out strong, then stumbled," Erwin said. "I went over her head and landed on my head. I ended up with a spinal cord injury. That ended my riding career."
Surgery was required, followed by extensive rehab.
"I could not have asked for Christophe to treat me better," Erwin said. "I know he took it hard, very personally, but he didn't have to, because it was nobody's fault. I had the best of care. And while I was in rehab, either Christophe or his son, Miguel, called me every day at 11 o'clock, after training. I wasn't really useful to them anymore, but they were worried about me."
Erwin's spinal cord injury was categorized as incomplete. She recovered enough to walk, after a fashion, and when she was ready, there still was a place for her in the Clement stable.
"I needed a purpose," Erwin said. "There was enough to do in the office, so I felt I was being useful.
"But I was also pretty sad, dealing with a lot of depression," she continued. "I came to feel like they were giving me a job because they felt responsible, even though that was not true at all. And I think being there reminded me of just how much I loved being on horses for Christophe."
In 2019, Erwin moved on to a job with the Chad Brown stable, where she continues to work. She also became a mother, 17 months ago, when she gave birth to Oliver Erwin.
"I don't do rehab anymore," Erwin said. "Oliver keeps me very active.
"The last time I saw Christophe was at Payson Park over the winter," she added. "He loved that place, and I'm so glad I got to speak with him a few times."
Clement would have turned 60 Nov 1. Not for nothing, Clement had his best year in 2024, with more than $12 million earned by a stable of horses that ranged far and wide, winning races at 15 different tracks. Beyond the skill and dedication required to achieve such numbers, Clement was generous with his time, a tireless advocate for the welfare of the people who worked behind the scenes, and a symbol of rectitude that served to give horse trainers a good name.
Clement's death from a rare form of cancer May 25 drew the line to which the philosopher referred, leaving behind those he blessed by his 34 years as a trainer of Thoroughbreds.
"You are nothing other than your life," Sartre added.
In the case of Christophe Clement, when it all was added up, he was something. Really something.
