Mitole looks like future star in Chick Lang Stakes win at Pimlico

When the Breeders’ Cup Sprint runs this November at Steve Asmussen’s Churchill Downs base, he could have a legitimate contender in 3-year-old Mitole.

Off as a 2-5 favorite Saturday in the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes, a six-furlong event on the Preakness Stakes undercard, the colt won for absolute fun under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.

The final time was 1:09.29 with Santana checking for rivals in the stretch. There were none for the son of Eskendereya, who has now won three straight races and four of six in all.

“He's fast. Wow," Asmussen said. "He's a special horse. He really is. His confidence level has gotten better, just the way he comes into a race, and acts during it, has been spectacular the past two or three races. He was solid and nice and ran some good races, but he was a horse that carried quite a bit of weight and ran solid, and got better.”

Mitole set the opening fraction of 21.67 seconds, too, doing quite a bit of work on the lead while running the rest in the field of nine off their collective feet.

More evidence of that: Still Having Fun went from last to first to place, and Clouded Judgement picked up third.

Mitole paid $2.80 to win running in the colors of Will and Corinne Heiligbrodt.

“He’s run some awfully big numbers," Will Heiligbrodt said. "I’ve had a lot of horses. I haven’t had one this fast.”

Among their past charges has been Cinco Charlie, a Grade 3 winner who also won multiple stakes.

The Heiligbrodts indicated a jump in class is likely soon for Mitole, who they purchased for $140,000 as a 2-year-old.

Run as the Hirsch Jacobs Stakes, the Chick Lang was renamed in 2010 in honor of the Baltimore native and racing industry legend known as “Mr. Preakness,” who served as a trainer, jockey’s agent and racing official as well as director of racing and vice president and general manager of Pimlico, retiring in 1987. He continued to promote racing until his death in 2010 at age 83.