Einstein Wins In Big 'Cap Field of Thirteen
Pitts-Blasi And Trainee Grab Santa Anita Handicap Spotlight
Mar 25, 2009 BarbaraAnne Helberg
What was Einstein thinking? How did he make Helen Pitts-Blasi the first female trainer to win the Big 'Cap?
Thoroughbred trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi explained that her seven-year-old schoolee seemed to take pleasure at pre-race mountaintop gazing at Santa Anita Park during preparation for the modern $1 million version of the Santa Anita Handicap, formerly a $100,000 race so coveted by the likes of Seabiscuit owner Charles Howard and trainer Tom Smith in the 1930's.
Mountain Gazing Turns Golden for Einstein
Einstein apparently had never taken in the beauty of a mountain range before his arrival at Santa Anita. Trainer Pitts-Blasi said he was mesmerized by the mountains that overlook the track. Each training day the dark bay warrior would pause in the walking ring to gaze at them, she reported.
Pitts-Blasi, who calls Einstein the love of her life, first trained Curlin before he emerged as a two-time Horse of the Year under the tutelage of the Steve Asmussen barn. Einstein secured Pitts-Blasi's attention from the get-go. After the loss of Curlin, Einstein became Pitts-Blasi's golden egg.
Pitts-Blasi First Female Trainer to Win Big 'Cap
Gutsy Einstein passed the $2 million plateau in career earnings with his Big 'Cap take of $600,000 and crowned trainer Pitts-Blasi as queen trainer of the Santa Anita Handicap, held for Thoroughbreds four-years-old and up. It was also turf-tested Einstein's first run on synthetics.
Pitts-Blasi became the first female trainer to win the new rendition of the old beloved "hundred grander", as the Big 'Cap was referred to in the past when it emerged as America's first $100,000 Thoroughbred race.
"He's gotten better with age," Pitts-Blasi said of Einstein. She praised the dark bay as a horse who loves the game in a Blood-Horse interview ("Smart Move" by Tracy Gantz, March 14 issue, page 1000) following the March 7 Big 'Cap victory, also indicating that she might be considering the supplementing of Einstein to this fall's Breeders' Cup.
The BC is scheduled to run at Santa Anita for a second straight year. It will also mark the second ever synthetics BC.
How Einstein Scorched Big 'Cap Field
Pitts-Blasi pays attention to details. Aware that Einstein runs better when he has a chance to become familiar with his race day environment, she shipped her star to Santa Anita February 26. She let him drink in the mountain range as much as he wished.
In the Big 'Cap race, Einstein and jockey Julien Leparoux faced a challenge from twelve opponents that included Court Vision and Cowboy Cal, former Triple Crown-race participants. Behind a moderate pace set by Matto Mondo and Cowboy Cal, Einstein was cued by Leparoux from the third spot in early stretch.
Racing by Matto Mondo, Einstein held off charging Champs Elysees by a length in a rush to the wire. He finished the 10-furlong romp in 2:01.93, while Court Vision went seventh and Cowboy Cal, eighth.
Midnight Cry Stable owns Einstein. A son of Spend a Buck, he was bred in Brazil by Fazenda Mondesir. Einstein's dam is Gay Charm, by Ghadeer.
Latest Articles