Army Mule Colt Fastest at OBS March Under-Tack Opener

[Wandering Eyes]

The first session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's under-tack show for the March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale was delayed nearly an hour due to heavy fog Wednesday morning, but once it got going, it was a colt by Army Mule (hip 139) who broke through with the fastest furlong work of the day, covering the distance in :9 3/5. The Arkansas-bred was the last horse to work in the day's first set when he turned in the bullet drill for consignor Cesar Loya.

“The expectations on him were pretty high, he was always very, very fast,” Loya said. “It's hard to say you expect a :9 3/5. Let's put it this way, it didn't surprise me that he went in :9 3/5.

The colt is out of Marching Fire (Midnight Lute), a half-sister to multiple graded-placed Sharp Sensation (Sharp Humor) and was purchased for $57,000 at last year's Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale.

“My wife [Danielle] and I went to the Texas sale and we purchased two horses and he was one of them,” Loya said. “When he came out in front of me, he was a very balanced, medium-sized horse. He's got a beautiful way of moving. What really made me go for him is I was looking at another horse on the other end of the shedrow the next day and he caught my eye and I'm like that's the Army Mule over there.”

A colt from the first crop of graded winner Tale of Silence (hip 96) and a filly by Mitole (hip 168) shared the fast quarter-mile time of Wednesday's session, both covering the distance in :20 3/5.

Consigned by Doble J Equine Sales, agent, the dark bay colt is out of Lemon Drop Belle (Lemon Drop Kid) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Exxel (Tale of Ekati). He was a $14,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase.

The filly, consigned by Katie Miranda's White Lilac, is out of Mission from Elle (Noble Mission {GB}), a half-sister to group-placed Cougar Ridge (Johannesburg). She was purchased for $27,000 at Keeneland last September.

“We definitely expected a lot out of this filly,” Miranda said. “Simply because she had been so consistent and nice coming into the sale. She had a really nice prep and she loves this track. She looks great across it. And she is just a very smart filly. She kind of wants to be in the know about everything. And she does all of it on her own.”

Hip 168 | OBS/Photos by Z

Of the decision to work the chestnut filly a quarter-mile Wednesday, Miranda said, “I think she has a big, pretty stride and I liked the way the quarter was going to be able to showcase her.”

The fog which enshrouded the track and caused the delay to the session's start appeared to be a fairly localized event, according to Miranda.

“I actually breezed horses at my farm this morning, which is 15 minutes away, and it was totally fine,” she said. “It was just sitting heavy over OBS apparently. But it was wild. You couldn't even see from one barn to the next.”

Temperatures at the outset of the show were in the low 60s, but rose quickly as the fog burned off and were in the 80s by the time the session concluded just before 3 p.m.

“In March, it's kind of nice because it doesn't affect us a ton with the weather,” Miranda said of conditions throughout the day. “When you get into April and June, nobody wants to be breezing at three in the afternoon. But the track seemed really fair all day. I think they did a great job keeping that consistent.”

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning each day at 8 a.m. The OBS March sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday. Bidding begins each day at 11 a.m.

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