What About Einstein?

Much has been made over Midnight Cry's 20% ownership of Curlin and the various licensing issues it has caused -- yesterday the judge in the case denied the motion to force the sale of said percentage -- but little has been mentioned about their continued ownership (albeit under the guise of their partners) of Einstein. Einstein is currently ranked sixth by earnings in America for the year (just behind the now-retired Heatseeker) and is proven in G1 company on both dirt and turf and at a variety of distances -- he's probably the most consistent and versatile horse in the country; however the ongoing legal turmoil means that trainer Helen Pitts can't necessarily run him where and when she would like: Because neither Cunningham nor Gallion were licensed in New York, Pitts had to withhold Einstein from running in the Manhattan. “It's hard because the one I feel the worst for is him,” Pitts said. “Because, with New York being an example, I couldn't run when he was ready to run; he was dying to run. “Yes, I still got to run a week later, and he ran his eyeballs out, but it's frustrating from my standpoint because I know how good he's doing. But we adjust, and we'll work around it.” Given that Einstein is 6, one imagines that if an attempt to force his sale were successful, he'd be headed straight to stud (even though his Spend A Buck breeding isn't popular in the US right now -- despite its obvious quality). In an ideal situation, he'd be bought by someone else (ideally, someone who is not in prison) and kept in training with Helen Pitts (with whom he has blossomed over the last few years -- I still suspect Curlin might have hit his stride sooner had he remained with her team) for at least another year. One wonders whether he's simply flying under the radar with relation to the legal tussle or if there are ongoing behind-the-scenes discussions over his future. In either case, here's hoping the rest of his season is unimpeded by the problems created by the Midnight Cry situation. More on this weekend's races later...I need to go see a man about a phone...