Rhetorical was riding a three-race winning streak into Saturday’s $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) but had never faced such a star-studded field. The 4-year-old son of Not This Time proved he was up to the task with a terrific effort, winning by three-quarters of a length and earning him a berth in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Del Mar.

Not This Time has got off to a white-hot start at the Keeneland meet. On Friday, he had the 1-2-3 finishers in the Jessamine S. (G2) for 2-year-old fillies and third-place finisher The Grumpy Rabbit in the Alcibiades S. (G1), then on Saturday had the runner-up Blackout Time in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1).

The dark bay got a perfect ride from Irad Ortiz, Jr. He tucked nicely into fourth as Quatrocentro dictated the pace for six furlongs, in 1:10.08. Turning for home, Rhetorical shifted to the outside and forged his way to the front inside the final furlong, then finished strongly to hold off Program Trading (GB) to stop the timer in 1:33.61 on the firm turf.

“I’m just happy for the team. This is why we do it, get up and do it seven days a week, for moments like this,” trainer Will Walden said. “Super happy for the horse and the ownership: Adam Wachtel (of Wachtel Stable), Gary Barber, Everett Dobson (of Cheyenne Stable). There were some doubts about whether the horse could jump up. We didn’t know. But he’d been training awfully good and giving us all the signs that we wanted to see going forward.”

Now a winner of five of six starts, Rhetorical has earned $824,701. He was bred by Mallory and Karen Mort and sold for $320,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York Preferred sale.