On Wednesday night, trainer Mike Mitchell welcomed back his wife,
Denise, who returned from a two-week mission trip to Vietnam, her 14th annual such journey, with a group from the Hope Chapel church in Redondo Beach.
With two wins on Thursday, Mike Mitchell moved into a tie with Ron
McAnally at the top of the list for career training victories at Del Mar
with 436. Setting up a family gathering – with daughters McCall and
Shea – for the winner’s circle picture if/when Mitchell takes over the
No. 1 spot.
“That’s how God works these things out,” Mitchell said. “She was
worried she might not be here (for the record). Now the whole family
will be here, making it even more special.”
Mitchell started the meeting five behind McAnally and drew even with
wins No. 6 and 7 from 30 starters in the first 17 days of the meeting.
McAnally, who is in Chicago to saddle defending champion Éclair de Lune
in the Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park, has two wins from seven
starters this summer at Del Mar.
Mitchell will saddle Devour, the 5-2 morning-line second choice in
today’s second race, Backwoods Belle (3-1) in the fifth and U Turn Me
Crazy (3-1) in the sixth. McAnally has no starters today or Saturday and
one on Sunday. Mtchell has four entered on Saturday and three on
Sunday.
Like everyone else, Mitchell can see the inevitability of his
ascension. But experience from 37 years as a trainer dissuades him from
anticipating or predicting a given day.
“You don’t know in this game,” Mitchell said Friday morning. “I ran
six horses on one card at Hollywood Park one day, I thought they all
were live and I had a chance to win six. And the best (result) I got was
a third.”