Army Mule to miss Met Mile, get time off

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher reported Tuesday that the undefeated and untested Army Mule was going to get some time off and would miss an intended start in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 9. Army Mule, owned by Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable, has been training in South Florida at Palm Beach Downs since his 6 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Carter on April 7.

“He just hasn’t regained the form he had going into the Carter,” said Pletcher. “He’s going to [James] Crupi’s farm in Ocala and he’ll get a complete physical up there. The idea is that we want to have him back for late summer and the fall of the year and hopefully one of the Breeders’ Cup-type races. We just haven’t been able to get him back where we want him. We hate to miss the Met, but our primary thought is to do what’s best for the horse.”

The Carter was the third one-sided win for Army Mule, a 4-year-old son of Friesan Fire who has won his three starts by a combined 22 1/4 lengths including an allowance race by 7 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream Park launching his 2018 campaign on Jan. 31.