Courtesy of Thoroughbred Times
by Jeff Apel
ALBERTUS MAXIMUS was purchased privately by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Shadwell Stable following his win in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in his previous start on October 25 at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park. Vladimir Cerin previously trained the Albert the Great horse, who made his first start for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in the Donn.
“He’s a very professional racehorse,” McLaughlin said. “We’re just grateful Sheikh Hamdan bought him after he won the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita and sent him to us.”
McLaughlin said ALBERTUS MAXIMUS will be pointed to the $6-million Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 28 at Nad al Sheba Racecourse. McLaughlin and Shadwell Stable previously teamed to win the 2007 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) with Invasor (Arg), the ’06 Eclipse Award winner as Horse of the Year and champion older male.
The Donn was the third career start on a dirt track for ALBERTUS MAXIMUS, who has made 12 of his 16 career starts on synthetic surfaces. ALBERTUS MAXIMUS has two wins and one runner-up finish on dirt surfaces.
“There was no question he liked the track today,” winning jockey Alan Garcia said. “He was happy and comfortable the whole time and really enjoyed himself out there. He gave me everything he had and, when I turned him loose, he went on and won the race.”
Grade 3 winner Finallymadeit set a determined pace near the inside rail and led ALBERTUS MAXIMUS by a half-length through a half-mile in :47 and by a head through six furlongs in 1:11.75. ALBERTUS MAXIMUS seized command on the outside of Finallymadeit and opened a head lead in early stretch.
ALBERTUS MAXIMUS and Finallymadeit, a 30.30-to-1 longshot ridden by Eduardo Nunez, dueled for the lead through the stretch. Albertus Maximus turned back a determined Finallymadeit in the closing strides to win the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:50.96 on a track rated as fast.
“That horse inside me kept fighting,” Garcia said. “I thought he would be [exhausted] by the quarter pole, but he just kept coming back and never gave up.”
Finallymadeit finished 1 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Einstein (Brz), a multiple Grade 1 winner. Multiple Grade 2 winner Arson Squad, the 2.40-to-1 favorite in the field of ten four-year-olds and older, finished fourth.
ALBERTUS MAXIMUS earned $711,380 last season while winning three of his seven starts for previous owners Brandon and Marianne Chase, who are also the breeders of the five-year-old horse. ALBERTUS MAXIMUS set a one-mile track record for Del Mar’s synthetic Polytrack surface while winning the 2008 Windy Sands Handicap in 1:35.37.
ALBERTUS MAXIMUS finished third in the 2008 Goodwood Stakes (G1) at the Oak Tree meeting prior to winning the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
ALBERTUS MAXIMUS posted his sixth win in 16 starts and increased his earnings to $1,208,230. Bred in Kentucky, Albertus Maximus is a half brother to Grade 3-placed winner Chasethegold and is one of three winners from as many starters out of the winning Forty Niner mare Chasethewildwind.