The big knock on Mitole was even if he won his last five starts in blowout fashion, at least a few of those scores were aided by relatively easy early paces. The biggest evidence to this point came in last month's Count Fleet at Oaklawn, in which he was literally the only true front runner in a field of five.

Well, Mitole got no free passes pace-wise in the just completed Churchill Downs Stakes. In fact, he conceded the early lead and allowed Bobby's Wicked One and Promises Fulfilled to duke it out on the front end. And Mitole still won, and won decisively.

No knocks on Mitole now. He's wickedly fast, but can be just as effective rating. And now that he also just now addressed the matter of successfully stretching from six to seven furlongs, it wouldn't be a surprise to perhaps see Mitole take on McKinzie, dominating winner of yesterday's Alysheba, in the Met Mile on Belmont Stakes Day.