Army Mule goes three furlongs in first breeze since Carter

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Army Mule, the fast but fragile colt, worked three furlongs in 39.88 seconds over Saratoga’s main track on Saturday in his first breeze since he won the Grade 1 Carter at Aqueduct on April 7.

“First breeze, easy three-eighths by himself, get him back under way,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Pletcher said he would love to get Army Mule to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, “but that’s a long way away, we have to figure out how we’re going to get there.”

Pletcher said there isn’t enough time to make a race like the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap at Belmont on Sept. 22.

“Just got to try and get a little foundation into him before we start to do a little more serious work,” Pletcher said. “Right now, it’s not really thinking about a specific race, just playing it week by week and let him guide us with his level of fitness.”

Army Mule, a 4-year-old son of Friesan Fire owned by Vinnie Viola, has won all three of his starts by a combined 22 1/4 lengths. He won his debut in April 2017 at Belmont by 8 1/2 lengths, but was sidelined by a knee issue and wasn’t seen again until January, when he won an allowance at Gulfstream by 7 1/2 lengths.

Off that performance, Army Mule was pointed to the Grade 1 Carter, a race in which he beat 10 rivals while running seven furlongs in 1:20.94 over a dull surface. He earned a 114 Beyer Speed Figure.

Army Mule was being pointed to the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont in June, but another issue developed and Pletcher ultimately sent him out to a farm in Ocala for a few months.

He rejoined Pletcher here in Saratoga and was galloping for about 30 days before having his official work on Saturday.