Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Army Mule (Friesan Fire) makes his highly anticipated stakes debut in Saturday's GI Carter H. at Aqueduct.
A runaway debut winner at three at Belmont last spring, the $825,000 EASMAY juvenile returned from the bench with another jaw-dropping tally after missing the break in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Jan. 31. He earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the latter.
“His maiden race and allowance race were both very impressive,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It's a big jump from a one-other-than to a Grade I, but we feel like he has that type of ability. This was a good opportunity for him and the Grade I status is important. So, we felt like instead of taking another incremental step in an allowance race that we'd go ahead and test where he is with the big boys.”
Three-time graded winner and last term's GI Forego S. runner-up Awesome Slew (Awesome Again) makes his first start since finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar Nov. 3. The streaking GIII Tom Fool H. winner Skyler's Scramjet (Creative Cause) enters off three straight wins at the Big A. Last year's 54-1 Carter upsetter Green Gratto (Here's Zealous), meanwhile, hasn't had his picture taken in 10 subsequent starts.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
