Brilliant Berti 'The Best' of Klein Family Legacy

The Klein family has been involved in the Thoroughbred game for over 30 years. Richard Klein began racing horses with his mother, Elaine. Soon after, his father Bert, a prominent banker, began his own operation claiming horses. Once merged, the trio had plenty of success. Among their top horses were 2000 Super Derby (G1) winner Outofthebox and graded stakes winners Allamerican Bertie, Break Even, De Bertie, and Hurricane Bertie. However, in Richard Klein's mind, they have never raced a horse as good as Brilliant Berti. In September, the Cherie DeVaux-trained colt became the Klein family's first million-dollar earner. After conquering a second graded contest June 28 with a 3/4-length win in the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs, Brilliant Berti crossed the $2 million mark. "He's the best horse I ever had," Klein declared in the Churchill Downs winner's circle. "We've won a lot of graded stakes races and had a lot of nice horses, but this horse is at the top. It's hard to separate all the other horses we've had, but this horse is right up there at the top. There's no doubt about what he's shown he can do." With a record of 7-2-0 from 11 starts, Brilliant Berti's Wise Dan triumph was a fifth in stakes company, joining wins in the Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland, Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs, and the American Derby and Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs. Furthermore, he's tacked on graded placings in the Secretariat Stakes (G2T) at Colonial Downs and Arlington Stakes (G3T) at Churchill. "What a neat horse, he's just special," Klein said. "He tries every time. He's been totally consistent and sound, and the barn just loves him. I'm shaking because I'm so excited." Elaine died in 2013 at age 80 followed by Bert in 2017 at 86, but their influence is still present deep into Brilliant Berti's pedigree. The son of Noble Mission (GB) is a fourth-generation homebred, tracing his place in the Klein family back to the 1992 Keeneland September Yearling Sale when Bert purchased a yearling Timeless Native filly for $14,000. "It's emotional because of my parents," Klein said. "They would love to be a part of." He would name the unraced filly Clever Bertie, and she would go on to produce four-time graded stakes winner and grade 1 placed Allamerican Bertie (Quiet American). Allamerican Berti produced two-time stakes winner Homerun Berti (Forestry), a 22-time winner, but is linked to Brilliant Berti through her unraced Street Cry daughter, Saint Bertie. Her only daughter to race was Brilliant Berti's dam, Believe in Berti, who won four stakes in her native Louisiana in addition to two graded placings on the Churchill Downs turf course. In 2020, Klein opted to breed the Langfuhr mare to Lane's End Farm stallion Noble Mission, who the following year would move to Japan's JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station. Klein said he usually does not breed to the top commercial stallions, so the $20,000 stud fee plus Noble Mission's complementary size to the mare made him a perfect match. "Believe in Berti is a big horse, and we tried to find a size that would fit to her," Klein told BloodHorse following Brilliant Berti's victory in the Gun Runner Stakes last September. "Noble Mission was doing good, and I knew this was all turf pedigree." The magical ride Brilliant Berti is taking the Klein family on is not over yet, as Richard Klein has his eyes set on a big target at the end of 2026. "My dream would be next year at Keeneland (in the Breeders' Cup)," Klein said.