Sunday, January 20, 2013
Brigand and Socialsaul gave Eisaman two of the top three finishers in Sunday's $75,000 Turnofthecentury S. at Aqueduct, finishing first and third, respectively, in the one mile race on the inner dirt course.
Brigand, a 4-year-old son of Flatter trained by Bob Baffert, went gate-to-wire on the front end to score by 2 3/4-lengths. Socialsaul, meanwhile, came from fifth and last in mid-stretch to earn the show spot, beaten just a head for second.
“I had a lot of horse,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz of Brgiand’s performance in the Turnofthecentury. “Tonja (Terranova, assistant to winning trainer Bob Baffert) did a good job with the horse. I broke good out of there, like Tonja told me to do. I put him in front, and he relaxed and had a comfortable trip.”
The Turnofthecentury was the second stakes win in Brigand's career; the Bob Baffert trainee now sports a mark of 5-5-0 in 13 starts, with earnings of $333,820 for his owner Kaleem Shah. Baffert bought Brigand out of the OBS March Select 2-year-old sale for $925,000, the highest price paid at the auction for the Eiseman Equine consigned colt.
Socailsaul, winner of the 2011 New York Derby, has earned $277,530 in his career. Eisaman also sold Socialsaul at auction, at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2010 yearling sale, where he was purchase for $35,000 by his owner Mike Samotowka.