ELMONT, N.Y. – Mitole had barely taken three steps out of the winner’s circle following the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes last month when trainer Steve Asmussen said the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park would be the next race for the talented sprinter, who had just won his sixth consecutive race. Asmussen felt the Met Mile would be the spot where Mitole could showcase the talent he always felt this horse had even as he had to wait for him to return from a splint-bone injury that interrupted his 3-year-old campaign. On Saturday, Mitole indeed showcased that talent, taking over from Coal Front in upper stretch and holding two of the world’s best horses at bay in the final furlong to win the $1.2 million Met Mile by three-quarters of a length. McKinzie, bottled up in traffic for a good part of the stretch, got up for second by a neck over Thunder Snow, the two-time Dubai World Cup winner and earner of more than $16 million. “I believe this race is the showcase that we want it to be, and you know how I felt about the horse last year,” said Asmussen, who trains Mitole for William and Corinne Heiligbrodt. “With the little splint issue we had, we got off track, but for the Heiligbrodts to wait it out and be in this position standing here today is very good gratifying.” Not only did Mitole win his seventh straight race, his final time of 1:32.75, was just 0.02 seconds off the stakes record set by Frosted in 2016. This was the 126th running of the Met Mile. Breaking from post 2 under Ricardo Santana Jr., Mitole took up a stalking position in second, about a length off Coal Front, who, under Jose Ortiz, ran an opening quarter in 22.17 seconds. Promises Fulfilled was about three-quarters of a length off Mitole. Approaching the three-eighths pole, after a half-mile in 44.38 seconds, Mitole poked a head in front of Coal Front. Those two battled until the three-sixteenths pole, where Mitole started to edge away. Thunder Snow, under Christophe Soumillon, and McKinzie, under Mike Smith, were behind horses turning for home. Thunder Snow found room first and chased Mitole home, but Santana had too much horse and continued on to the wire in front. McKinzie ran down Thunder Snow late to get second. “For him to sustain the pressure of Coal Front and Promises Fulfilled and hold off McKinzie and Thunder Snow speaks for itself,” Asmussen said. Asmussen said he would ship Mitole back to Churchill Downs and map out a plan to get him to the Breeders’ Cup in the fall at Santa Anita. The Met Mile was a Win and You’re In for the Dirt Mile, but that race is run around two turns. Mitole has won five races at six furlongs, the distance of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Asmussen became the first trainer to win the Met Mile in consecutive years – he won it last year with Bee Jersey – since Frank Whiteley Jr. did it in 1976-77 with Forego. Santana also won this race for the second straight year. “This is really a special horse. I can’t explain to you how happy I am with this horse,” Santana said. “He can come from off the pace, he can go to the front, you can put him between horses, and he always tries his best. Today, we sit off the speed, and we wait as long as we can. Thank God we won today.” McKinzie, coming off a victory in the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs, was second to last early while saving all the ground. Turning for home, Smith was behind Thunder Snow and couldn’t get away from him until Thunder Snow ducked to the inside. McKinzie came running but could only get second. “From the three-eighths pole on to the wire, I never had a place to go,” Smith said. “Too bad because I was on much the best horse.” Thunder Snow was cutting back to a mile after he won the Dubai World Cup, at 1 1/4 miles, for the second straight year. Soumillion felt confident coming into Saturday that he could get a mile. “Every time I rode him, he always showed me a lot of speed,” Soumillon said. “Today, he broke out of the gates really well. I had to put him a bit under pressure to get my position, but after that, he was traveling really easily. He gave me a great effort til the end.” Following Thunder Snow in the order of finish were Promises Fulfilled, Firenze Fire, Pavel, Coal Front, Tale of Silence, and Prince Lucky. Thunder Snow is expected to ship back to England but will return for the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 3, trainer Saeed bin Suroor said.