Connections of any horse entered at auction would love to see a graded stakes-winning catalog update from their offering's sibling just days before the sale. For the connections of Hip 979 in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, the update he received Nov. 2 could not have been any bigger.
The Army Mule colt will enter the sales ring Nov. 7 as part of Book 2 just five days after his half sister Soul of an Angel conquered her foes in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar, utilizing a devastating late kick to win by a half-length.
"The pinnacle of our sport is to win a Breeders' Cup race," said Jared Burdine, general manager of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa who consigns the colt. "Short of a Kentucky Derby, you can't get a much bigger update than that."
Both Soul of an Angel (Atreides) and the colt were bred in Kentucky by Westbrook Stables. The weanling is the fifth foal of their dam, Factor One (The Factor ). Of three to race, two have won.
"He's a good-moving, long, scopey son of Army Mule, and he's only a May 1 baby, too," Burdine said of the colt.
Soul of an Angel has reached the best form of her career this year as a 5-year-old. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. referred to the mare as a one-turn specialist, having gone 3-for-3 in starts around one turn since joining his barn this spring.
However, she has also proven her versatility with success over two turns. At 4, she won the 1 1/16-mile Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis. At 5, she has tussled with the best of the distaff division. In the 1 1/16-mile Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park she gave 2023 champion older dirt female Idiomatic all she could handle in a stretch-long duel that she was a head short of winning. She followed that performance with a third in the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course behind Raging Sea and Idiomatic before winning her next two starts at seven furlongs.
Her ability to cover the longer distance and success at one turn has made Joseph pencil in the one-turn, 1 1/8-mile $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) as her next major target. She has earned $1,192,675 to date.
With an ambitious 6-year-old campaign ahead, it wouldn't be surprising to see the value of the Army Mule weanling offered Thursday to increase in the future.
"The sky's the limit for the colt," Burdine said.
