Trainers

Mike Mitchell

Southern California

A longtime leader among claiming conditioners, Mitchell has upgraded his stable over the past few years with some astute claims … One of his best claims, Kessem Power, was haltered for $50,000 and went on to win the 1998 San Luis Rey and 1999 San Luis Obispo Handicap, both G2 events … Has saddled six Breeders’ Cup runners; two in 2008 – Church Service and Big Booster, who finished second and third, respectively in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Marathon. Church Service was beaten a head for the big prize … Those placings helped the veteran trainer enjoy a career year in 2008 with personal-high earnings of $4,571,184 … In 2004, posted his first two Grade 1 stakes victories with Kela in the Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Del Mar and $80,000 claim Star Over the Bay in the G1 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship at the Oak Tree meeting. Each horse won three graded stakes during the year. Kela ended ’04 with a runner-up effort in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint behind champion Speightstown before being retired to stud … Mitchell led all trainers at the 2007-08 Santa Anita meeting, garnering his 17th Southern California training title … Has won six training titles at Del Mar and is second on the track’s all-time win list for trainers behind Hall of Famer McAnally … Is third behind only Bobby Frankel and Ron McAnnally with most wins at Oak Tree at Santa Anita … Leprechaun Kid, an $80,000 claim, won the 2005 G2 Del Mar Handicap in a front-running photo finish in his first start for Mitchell. Leprechaun Kid ran 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf that year … Two horses Mitchell claimed won G2 races on the Southern California circuit in 2007 – Sun Boat (San Diego Handicap) and On the Acorn (San Juan Capistrano Invitational and Jim Murray). On the Acorn went on to repeat in the 2008 Murray … Romance is Diane captured the 2006 G1 Hollywood Starlet for Mitchell … He continued his collection of G1 victories in 2008 by winning the Frank E. Kilroe Mile with Ever a Friend (claimed for $62,500) and the Eddie Read Handicap with Monzante … Other stakes winners for Mitchell include Johnny’s Image, Distant Ryder, Speedratic, Skip to the Stone, Comininalittlehot, Symphony Sid and Sindy With an S.