At the north end of Barn 8 on the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., one sire is particularly prominent: Army Mule . Three of the nine yearlings by the Pennsylvania-bred graded stakes winner are stabled there, including Hip 409, the one consigned by Sarah Sharp Sales.
And "the one" really is the one: the dark bay or brown colt is the only horse in her consignment.
"I bought him for myself," Sharp said. "I really liked the Army Mules that I saw at the weanling sales; I just couldn't afford them. He's a New York-bred and that's why he's here."
The colt is a $65,000 graduate from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Winter Mixed Sale in January; bred by Four Winds Farm and Eagle View Farm, he was consigned to that sale by Summerfield. He is out of the unraced mare Fife (Souvenir Copy), who sold for $130,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale in 2001.
"He fell a little bit higher than I thought I would be willing to spend," Sharp said, "but he was so nice. He vetted well, he checked all the boxes, so I went a little bit further than I would have liked. But he's definitely a beautiful physical and he was worth it."
Sharp is at the sale both to sell and to buy, noting that New York-breds make popular pinhooking prospects. Though she is a veteran of the Saratoga New York-Bred Sale, this is the first horse she's brought here to pinhook.
"It's very steady, very busy," she said. "Lots of people coming through, taking first looks, coming back and taking second looks. I expect them to go through the vet books and do their homework."
Army Mule (Friesan Fire ) was purchased for $825,000 as a 2-year-old by Crupi's New Castle Farm, racing for owner St. Elias Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher. He broke his maiden as a 3-year-old at Belmont Park in April 2017, winning by 8 1/2 lengths on debut. He returned to the track nine months later at Gulfstream Park, winning by 7 1/2, then took the Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack in April 2018 by a 6 1/4-length margin, ending his brief but brilliant career. He retired to Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Paris, Ky., standing in 2021 for an advertised $7,500 fee. His first foals are yearlings.
The three Army Mule yearlings that went through the ring at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected sale of yearlings in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. last week sold for an average of $358,333. One of them, a colt out of the stakes winner Made Me Shiver (Maclean's Music ), sold to St. Elias Stable, in partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds, for $400,000.
"I think that this year has been very strong overall," said Sharp. "After the last year, I think that people are eager to buy a horse."
She also voiced the universal enthusiasm about having the sale back in Saratoga Springs.
"Everyone loves coming up here," she said. "The atmosphere is nice, and Fasig-Tipton goes beyond anyone else in the industry to make everyone comfortable: buyers, sellers, everyone.
"It's great to be back up here and everyone's excited."
