CLEAR WINNER
Mitole much the best again in Bachelor
After watching the replay, Steve Asmussen scanned the Oaklawn Park toteboard and recited the winning horse’s fractional times with admiration.
“Twenty-one and one,” he began, “forty-four and one, fifty-six and one and eight and two.”
Not a track record — 1:07.60, by Karen’s Tom in the same race
28 years ago, remains the local standard for six furlongs — but a towering performance nonetheless by Mitole in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes.
A three-time winner from six starts, Mitole is capable of “crazy numbers” any time out, Asmussen said, after a career-best
1:08.41 final time Thursday.
Winning by nine lengths, the bay son of Eskendereya bettered the 1:09.16 he ran March 17 in clearing his first allowance condition. Getting a measure of revenge for a February loss, Mitole evened the score against Bourne in Nixa after placing second, when beaten a length and three quarters, in the $125,000 Gazebo at six furlongs.
“He grabbed himself pretty good coming out of the gate that day,” Asmussen said, “but I’m not making excuses for him.”
Including his 10-length maiden victory Feb. 3, the Bachelor is the most significant of “three tremendous races” by Mitole at the meeting, the trainer said. Mitole paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10, collecting $90,000 for longtime Asmussen clients Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt of Houston.
“Someone counted them up and we have more than 1,000
victories for the Heiligbrodts alone,” said Asmussen, 52. “In this day and age, that’s tremendous.”
Mitole represented the third of four winners on Oaklawn’s second-to-last card of the season for jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. He finished the day with 1,002 career winners, No. 1,000 coming in Race 6 aboard the Asmussen-trained Westfest. Asmussen is rolling to his eighth Oaklawn training championship and third straight, many of his local winners ridden by five-time defending champion and runaway meet leader Santana.
“Steve Asmussen … and the whole team did a good job on that horse,” Santana said, referring to Mitole. “That was an amazing horse with a perfect trip and he ran his butt off.”
Andrew Ramgeet, aboard distant runner-up Mr. Jagermeister, explained the frustration felt by other jockeys in the race: “There was no speed in the race to go with the one (Mitole). If I used my horse early then maybe both of us would have been exhausted and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted him to finish, and he ran a good race.”
Supreme Aura, who like Mr. Jagermeister made his Oaklawn debut, completed the trifecta. Tin Badge, a 34-1 longshot, and meet winner Best of Greeley were fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Bourne in Nixa.
Asmussen mentioned the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 9 as the possible next start for Mitole. Said the Hall of Fame trainer: “He looks like he can get seven furlongs to me.”