Mitole to Stand at Spendthrift Farm in 2020

B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to leading sprinter and miler Mitole, who earned his third grade 1 win of 2019 in the form of a stakes-record performance in the Aug. 24 Forego Stakes Presented by Encore Boston Harbor (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

A winner of this year's prestigious Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park and Churchill Downs Stakes presented by Twinspires.com (G1) on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs, Mitole is set to retire at the end of this year and enter stud in 2020 at the Lexington, Ky., farm.

Spendthrift is offering breeders the opportunity to lock in at a fee of $20,000 for 2020. Mitole's fee will be subject to change pending future race results.

"The term 'brilliance' gets used a lot in this business, but there aren't many horses in recent history that have shown as much consistent brilliance as Mitole," said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift's general manager. "His Met Mile sticks in my head. That was both the field of the year and race of the year so far, and Mitole showed just how brilliantly fast and classy he is in that performance. On top of having rare ability, he's an extremely good-looking animal.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to stand him, and I want to thank Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, who we wish the best leading up to the Breeders' Cup. We will offer Mitole on a limited basis at $20,000 stands and nurses for breeders who wish to lock in early to be a part of his first book in 2020."

Campaigned by the Heiligbrodts and trainer Steve Asmussen, Mitole asserted himself as one of the best horses in training with a seven-race win streak dating to his 3-year-old campaign. After a breakout six-furlong allowance win in 1:09:16 at Oaklawn Park, Mitole began a run of six wins where he earned triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures.

He ran away from his fellow 3-year-olds with wins in the Bachelor Stakes (by nine lengths in 1:08.41) at Oaklawn and Chick Lang Stakes (by 6 1/4 lengths in 1:09.29) at Pimlico Race Course, earning 107 and 104 Beyers, respectively. In 2019, Mitole started his 4-year-old season with another dominant allowance win at Oaklawn, running 1:08.99 to crack the 1:09 mark for the second time in his career.

Mitole took aim at graded stakes company next, impressively capturing the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn before back-to-back grade 1 wins in the Churchill Downs Stakes and Met Mile, in which he defeated grade/group 1 winners McKinzie, Thunder Snow, Promises Fulfilled, and Firenze Fire while stopping the timer in 1:32.75 and earning his second 108 Beyer. 

On Saturday, Mitole drew off by three lengths and finished the seven-furlong race in 1:20.80—establishing a stakes record. He earned a 105 Beyer to mark his seventh triple-digit Beyer in his past eight starts, and the win was his eighth from his past nine starts at five racetracks, from six furlongs to a mile.

"After 30-plus years in the business and over a thousand races won, I can say Mitole is clearly our fastest horse ever," said Bill Heiligbrodt. "That was exhibited again on Saturday with his stakes-record performance in 1:20.80 in the Forego at Saratoga, where some of the fastest horses in the history of the sport have competed."

Asmussen added: "Mitole has ability and an attitude that superlatives do not do justice."

An earner of more than $2 million, Mitole is by Eskendereya, who's also the sire of 2017 Met Mile winner Mor Spirit —another Spendthrift stallion.

Mitole was bred in Kentucky by Edward Cox Jr. and hails from the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss.