Mitole Looks for One More Big Victory in BC Sprint

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Mitole Looks for One More Big Victory in BC Sprint
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Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Mitole will try for a fourth grade 1 win this season in the Breeders' Cup Sprint

William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Mitole will attempt to achieve the ultimate sendoff before taking up stud duty in 2020 when he headlines the field in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park. 

Mitole, who has never finished off the board in 13 starts, has established himself as one of the most dominant sprinters in recent memory. 

After earning top-level wins in the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G1) and Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), he finished third next out to fellow Sprint contender Imperial Hint in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1). Despite the blemish to his otherwise perfect 2019 season, he bounced back to defeat another Sprint contender, Firenze Fire, in the Forego Stakes Presented by Encore Boston Harbor (G1). 

The Sprint marks the first trip to the World Championships for the son of Eskendereya whose greatest source of competition will likely come in the form of the small but mighty Imperial Hint. 

Owned by Raymond Mamone, Imperial Hint finished third in last year's Sprint and second in the 2017 edition. He continues to be an incredibly consistent performer this year, hitting the board in all four starts. His compact stature and explosive running style have made the 6-year-old a fan favorite. 

Imperial Hint may be one of the oldest runners in the field, but his back-to-back grade 1 wins in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt—in which he set a Saratoga Race Course track record for six furlongs—and Vosburgh Stakes (G1) make him a force to be reckoned with at the distance. 

After finishing off the board in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Hronis Racing's Catalina Cruiser  will try his luck in the Sprint. Trained by John Sadler, the son of Union Rags  has won all three starts this year, all grade 2, including a second consecutive score in the Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar. 

Jorge Navarro will saddle Crawford Farms Racing's Shancelot, who won the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga by a jaw-dropping 12 1/2 lengths. The 3-year-old son of Shanghai Bobby will enter off a runner-up finish in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1), where he led at every point of call before being overtaken by Omaha Beach  at the wire. 

Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables, and Head of Plains Partners' Whitmore will aim to improve on his performance in last year's Sprint when he finished second to two-time champion sprinter Roy H. The Ron Moquett trainee has found the winner's circle only once this year when he took the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park in March. He enters off a second to another Sprint entrant, Engage, in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2).


Entries: Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, November 02, 2019, Race 8

  • Grade I
  • 6f
  • Dirt
  • $2,000,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 2:36 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Catalina Cruiser (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 126 John W. Sadler 4/1
2 2Hog Creek Hustle (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Mike E. Smith 124 Vickie L. Foley 20/1
3 3Firenze Fire (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 126 Jason Servis 12/1
4 4Mitole (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ricardo Santana, Jr. 126 Steven M. Asmussen 9/5
5 5Engage (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 126 Steven M. Asmussen 15/1
6 6Shancelot (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Jorge Navarro 4/1
7 7Whitmore (KY) Flavien Prat 126 Ron Moquett 15/1
8 8Landeskog (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Abel Cedillo 124 Doug F. O'Neill 12/1
9 9Imperial Hint (FL) Javier Castellano 126 Luis Carvajal, Jr. 4/1
10 10Matera Sky (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Yutaka Take 126 Hideyuki Mori 30/1