Midnight Cry Stable’s EINSTEIN (Brz) (Spend a Buck) overtook pacesetter Matto
Mondo (Chi) (Sir Cat) in early stretch and methodically pulled away to a
convincing one-length victory in the $1 million Santa
Anita H. (G1) on Saturday
for conditioner Helen Pitts-Blasi. The brilliant seven-year-old broke well but was
rated just off the pace by Julien Leparoux, but when he asked for Einstein to
deliver his best, the Brazilian-bred answered in a big way. The final time for 1
1/4 miles on the Pro-Ride was 2:01 4/5, and the 5-1 third choice gave back $12,
$7 and $4.60.
Matto Mondo broke best and went right to the front as expected, setting
sensible splits of :24 2/5, :48 1/5, 1:12 4/5 and 1:37 for the opening mile,
with Cowboy Cal (Giant’s Causeway) pressing on his outside. The pacesetter left
Cowboy Cal behind turning for home but found a fresh presence in Einstein, who
was ridden confidently while making up ground on the winner. Matto Mondo stayed
on well to the wire, but he was caught by a neck for second by Champs Elysees
(GB) (Danehill), who paid $19.40 and $11.60 at 27-1. The runner-up, who had only
one horse beaten after six furlongs, completed the $112.90 exacta ($1). Matto
Mondo, the lukewarm favorite at 9-2, paid
$5.20 to show while completing the $939.30 trifecta ($1). Monba (Maria’s Mon)
finished well while inside to finish fourth another
half-length back at 13-1. The $1 superfecta returned $10,595.40 (8-13-1-4).
Magnum (Arg) (El Compinche) was next and followed by Dansant (GB) (Dansili
[GB]), 9-2 second choice Court Vision (Gulch), Zambezi Sun (GB) (Dansili [GB]),
Stream Cat (Black Minnaloushe), Cause (Giant’s Causeway), Heroi de Bafra (Brz)
(Royal Academy) and Blue Exit (Pulpit), who was pulled up on the second turn and
was vanned off. Colonel John (Tiznow), the morning-line choice, was scratched
due to a fever.
Einstein has been mostly known for his prowess on
turf. A two-time winner of the Gulfstream Park Turf S. (G1), the nearly black
seven-year-old also owns a close third-place performance in that event as well
as a runner-up effort in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1). During the 2008 Churchill Downs
spring meet, Einstein won the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) by a length,
than took a rare detour to the main track to finish a solid second to reigning
Horse of the Year Curlin in the Stephen Foster H. (G1). Following a second in
the one-mile Firecracker H. (G2) over the Churchill lawn, Einstein stumbled
badly at the start of the Arlington Million (G1) and never reached contention
when finishing three lengths back in fifth. He was freshened after that showing
to take the Clark H. (G2) on Churchill’s main oval and was most recently third
in the Donn H. (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
With this second graded stakes score on dirt, Einstein improved his record to
24-10-3-2 with earnings of $2,278,020.
Bred by Fazenda Mondesir in Brazil, the winner is out of multiple Group 1
queen Gay Charm (Ghadeer), who is also the granddam of Brazilian Group 1 hero
Istbestand (Much Better). Gay Charm is herself a daughter of 1981 Gran Premio
Diana (Brz-G1) victress Virga (Waldmeister).