When he was brought to the United States, Einstein's new owners entrusted his race conditioning to Helen Pitts, who had taken over their stable upon the retirement of Kenneth McPeek.

[3] Einstein successfully defended his title in the Grade I Woodford Reserve-sponsored Turf Classic Stakes on May 2, 2009. on June 13 he was going for a world record, trying to be the first horse to win Grade 1 races on all three surfaces in the same year, first in the Santa Anita, then in the Woodford, and lastly on dirt in the race he got second in before, the Stephen Foster Handicap.

Einstein ran a bad race, and never showed the late kick he usually had, coming in sixth to rising star Gio Ponti.

[4] Einstein ran in the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar Racetrack in California but was beaten by a neck by longshot Richard's Kid.

He had already won on the same track at the same distance over the same surface, but due to the entries of Rip Van Winkle and the top mare in the country Zenyatta, he was not a favorite.

On November 27 at Churchill Downs Einstein ran in the Grade II Clark Handicap[5] and, carrying the high weight of the race, finished a game third after starting from the outside gate (14th Post Position) and being blocked in the stretch.