Male Sprinter Eclipse Caps Mitole's Standout Season

While the Eclipse Award buzz started long before Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Mitole  closed his career with a thrilling victory in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park, the Jan. 23 ballot results confirmed the son of Eskendereya’s crown as champion male sprinter. 

A marvel of consistency throughout his 14 lifetime starts, Mitole never finished worse than third. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the now 5-year-old’s 2019 season was one victory shy of a perfect 7-for-7, his sole loss coming in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course when he brushed the gate in a troubled break before finishing third. 

Kicking off those top-level victories Mitole earned during his championship season was the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by TwinSpires.com (G1), in which he scored by 3 1/2 lengths. 

He stretched out in his next start to contest the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), but the added distance proved little hindrance. After moving to the lead near the quarter pole, he drove home to cross the wire first, defeating the likes of grade 1 winner McKinzie and two-time Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) victor Thunder Snow.

Mitole bounced back after his Vanderbilt loss to win the Forego Stakes Presented by Encore Boston Harbor (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which proved to be his crowning glory. 

Dueling in the stretch with a fast-moving Shancelot, Mitole was all heart on the Santa Anita Park dirt, propelling himself forward with tremendous momentum to get up in time and score by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:09 flat.

"Steve has other good horses, but this horse has done it," Bill Heiligbrodt said following Mitole's Sprint score. "All I can say is he's done everything he's been asked to do, and it's been a really, really tough campaign."

Bred in Kentucky by Edward A. Cox Jr., Mitole had been a modest $140,000 2-year-old purchase for the Heiligbrodts in 2017. Shortlisted by Asmussen, the colt was bought in the name of East Hickman Bloodstock from the Grassroots Training & Sales consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss, Mitole was retired to begin his second career as a Spendthrift Farm stallion with a 10-2-2 record and earnings of $3,104,910. 

"Corinne and I consider ourselves the most fortunate people in the world to have been able to have owned a horse like this," Heiligbrodt said. "And it just comes around never. So that’s the way we think about it."