First-Crop Sires: Fillies continue to shine for Mitole

Since our first installment regarding the first-crop runners by Mitole over the summer, the former champion sprinter has been represented by two stakes winners and several other maiden winners of note.

With a month and a half of the season remaining, V V's Dream remains the standout performer of Mitole's first crop. A dominant maiden winner and stakes-placed at the time of our initial overview in August, V V's Dream subsequently landed the one-mile Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs by 8 3/4 lengths, securing 10 qualifying points toward the 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

V V's Dream went on to finish second by one length in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland, but stayed home from the Breeders' Cup in California to contest the 1 1/16-mile Rags to Riches S. at Churchill on Oct. 29. However, V V's Dream ran below her best over a sloppy track, finishing 9 1/2 lengths third at odds of approximately 1-5.

An earner of more than $433,000 through five starts, the Kenny McPeek-trained gray has been nominated to the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill on Nov. 25.

McPeek also trains Mitole's only other stakes winner to date, the filly Ice Cold. Although sixth in both of her first two starts at Saratoga against open maiden company, one sprinting on dirt and the other routing on turf, Ice Cold found the drop into Indiana-bred company agreeable when taking the $100,000 Miss Indiana S. at Horseshoe Indianapolis by a lopsided 10-length margin as a 7-10 favorite on Oct. 4. The Miss Indiana was contested at one mile and 70 yards.

Like stablemate V V's Dream, Ice Cold has also been nominated to the Golden Rod.

Stormcast, who had been mentioned as a stakes-placed maiden in our initial installment, subsequently graduated in her third lifetime start at Woodbine on Aug. 19, prevailing by 3 1/2 lengths going seven furlongs on the turf. Another daughter of Mitole who has earned black type is Mirinda, a California-bred who won on debut by 6 1/2 lengths near the end of the Del Mar meet and then finished a distant third in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Breeders' Cup weekend.

The most notable male among Mitole's North America-based first crop to date is Booth, who turned in a stunning display to win his debut by 5 1/4 lengths at Keeneland on Oct. 7 for Steve Asmussen, who trained Mitole. 

A half-brother to Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Bright Future, Booth is out of the stakes-winning Sophia's Song and earned a stellar 98 Brisnet Speed rating. He is expected to start next in the $225,000 Ed Brown S. at Churchill on Nov. 25.

Another son of Mitole worth noting is Typhoon Fury, a gelding who broke his maiden third out at Aqueduct on Nov. 9 by a nose going six furlongs on the turf.

Other maiden winners of note for Mitole include two other fillies. Abigail's Road displayed versatility breaking her maiden going about five furlongs on the turf and then taking a first-level allowance over a sloppy main track going a mile, both races occurring at Remington Park.

However, Abigail's Road's stakes debut didn't turn out well as she finished eighth of nine in the $100,000 My Trusty Cat S. at Delta Downs on Nov. 10 as a pari-mutuel outsider. She could perhaps reappear in the $75,000 Trapeze S. at Remington on Dec. 15 over one mile.

Perhaps more intriguing is Halina's Forte, who won handsomely on debut by 4 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs going 5 1/2 furlongs in a maiden event for trainer Phil Bauer. The Florida-bred earned an 86 Brisnet Speed rating.

Halina's Forte was produced by Lunarlady, a stakes-winning half-sister to the Grade 3 winners Astrology, who also placed in the Preakness (G1), and Lunarpal.

Judging from the results so far, the offspring of Mitole have had little trouble adapting to all varieties of surfaces and track conditions.