“Unfortunately, if you are reading this, it means I was unable to beat my cancer,” reads the final message of Christophe Clement, who passed away surrounded by family members on Sunday. Winner of 41 Grade 1 races, the legendary horse racing trainer was 59 years old at the time of his demise. And with his passing comes another blow for the community to grapple with. But the French-born trainer has left the horse racing fraternity with one valuable lesson: wholesome life. “Every morning I woke up and did what I loved most, surrounded by so much love.”

In a career spanning over 3 decades, there are very few accolades that Christophe Clement hasn’t won, making him one of the most celebrated figures of the sport. However, metastatic uveal melanoma, a rare form of cancer, proved to be one race that he couldn’t win against. However, while his death is undoubtedly a sad day for patrons of horse racing, they now seem to have more taken away from them.

The daily Racing Form‘s David Grening shared how Christophe Clement’s demise affects the upcoming events at the Aqueduct Race Track. “A side note to the news of Clement’s passing. Because NY racing has incredibly stupid rules, his horses he has entered today and tomorrow at AQU have been scratched,” reads Grening’s social media update, highlighting that at least two horses trained by the recently deceased trainer will be pulled out of the races slated for today and tomorrow.

Clement’s horse, Nagulie, was expected to start from Gate 9 for the 1 1/16 mile $48,000 Maiden Claiming race on Sunday. However, as per the official NYRA (The New York Racing Association, Inc.) website, the 3-year-old thoroughbred is no longer going to be in the starting line. On Monday, Christophe Clement’s other horse, Eternal Silence (a moniker almost poetic, isn’t it?), was also slated to start from Gate 2 for Race 1 of the $90,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (1 3/8 mile). As far as things go, it looks like even the 2024 Belmont At The Big A won’t be showing up after all.

Not the best way to show your final respects to the man who loved horse racing more than anything, some might argue. “As I reflect on my journey, I realize I never worked a day in my life. Every morning, I woke up and did what I loved most surrounded by so much love,” Christophe Clement’s own note, released posthumously, would suggest that nothing would please him more than seeing his beloved horses running at the Aqueduct under his banner for one last time.

However, still, Clement’s passing was sadly noted by the community. Marc Holliday, NYRA’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, said in an official statement, “Every now and then a rare individual comes along and distinguishes themselves in the way they approach life, rising to the top of their game and positively impacting those around them. Christophe was a leader, a family man, friend and mentor to others.”

“Christophe was an incredible horseman, who always put the horse first and the results speak for themselves. I feel lucky to have known him,” Holliday stated further on the man who trained the 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist. But at least memory would have some pleasure knowing that the upcoming races will take a moment to honor Clement.

The show must go on, even without Christophe Clement

The horse racing community is currently living through one of the most exciting stretches of weeks of the horse racing season. Despite the Triple Crown being off the table, the third jewel of the event, the Belmont Stakes, has the fans hyped. From the possibility of seeing Sovereignty, the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner, finally have its rematch against Journalism, this year’s Preakness Stakes winner, to seeing whether the iconic Bob Baffert can finally have a Triple Crown race win after his 3-year suspension: there’s a lot to keep the horse racing connoisseurs on their toes.

But knowing Christophe Clement, his eyes probably would have been on the underdog: Heart of Honor. The horse was only recently shipped to the USA after winning the UAE Derby earlier this year. Naturally, getting to know the climate in the new continent took some time, and the colt couldn’t make much of the opportunity at the Preakness Stakes.

However, Saffie Osborne, the jockey, reveals that the horse is finally ready to take the fight to its American brethren at the upcoming Belmont race in Saratoga. How likely do you think it’s possible that Heart of Honor would pull off a thunderous upset win? Tell us your thoughts in a comment.