'TDN Rising Star' Army Mule remained perfect in jaw-dropping fashion while recording his first victory at the highest level in the GI Carter H.
The St Elias Stable colorbearer enjoyed the perfect trip from his inside draw sitting just behind a pair of dueling leaders through fractions of :22.09 and :44.93. The bay shot through an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch and it was all over from there, drawing off to win by a dazzling 6 1/4 lengths. The final time of 1.20.94 was .90 off the 19-year-old track record set by champion Artax.
“The sky's the limit with him,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He's just a super talented horse and it's a matter of keeping him happy and healthy and pointing him in the right direction. The way he finished today at seven-eighths, a race like the [GI] Met Mile [June 9] would certainly make sense and be on the radar.
“You don't expect to win a Grade I by that many lengths, and I didn't even think the track is that fast today. He's something really special.”
A runaway debut winner at three at Belmont last spring, Army Mule returned from the bench with another visually impressive tally after missing the break in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Jan. 31, good for a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.
Pedigree Notes:
Army Mule, the second-priciest purchase when bringing $825,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training sale, becomes the third stakes winner for Friesan Fire. Pimlico stakes winner Crafty Toast is also represented by an Old Fashioned colt of 2016. She was bred to Imagining and Normandy Invasion last year. Army Mule's second and third dams were both graded stakes winners. Friesan Fire swept the Fair Grounds leg of the Triple Crown trail before going off the 38-10 favorite in the 2009 GI Kentucky Derby.
Saturday, Aqueduct
CARTER H.-GI, $400,000, AQU, 4-7, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:20.94, ft.
1–ARMY MULE, 116, c, 4, by Friesan Fire
1st Dam: Crafty Toast (SW, $219,128), by Crafty Prospector
2nd Dam: Give a Toast, by Storm Bird
3rd Dam: Salud, by Raise a Cup
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($35,000 Ylg '15 EASOCT; $825,000
2yo '16 EASMAY). O-St. Elias Stable; B-Hope Hill Farm (PA);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Joe Bravo. $240,000. Lifetime Record:
3-3-0-0, $311,400. Werk Nick Rating:
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”scanlon-trainingsales”][bullet ad=”scanlon-1-2-bro”][bullet ad=”bill-reightler-sold”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”]2–Awesome Slew, 121, h, 5, Awesome Again–Slewfoundmoney,
by Seeking the Gold. O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud
(FL); T-Mark E. Casse. $80,000.
3–Great Stuff, 116, h, 6, Quality Road–Sumptuous, by
Hennessy. ($185,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP; $145,000 3yo '15
KEENOV). O-Bruce Golden Racing & David Jacobson;
B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-David
Jacobson. $40,000.[bullet ad=”stonestreet-bredraised”][bullet ad=”blackwood-graduate-2″][bullet ad=”lantern-hill-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”]Margins: 6 1/4, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 2.10, 1.80, 13.00.
Also Ran: Skyler's Scramjet, Petrov, Favorable Outcome, Fellowship, Do Share, Red Dragon Tattoo, Spartiatis, Green Gratto. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogueg-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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