Army Mule Filly Swiftest at OBS: 'She's Always Flying'

A filly from the first crop of Grade I winner Army Mule (hip 437) zipped a quarter-mile in :20 2/5–fastest of the week so far–during the third session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June 2-Year-Olds Sale under-tack show Wednesday in Central Florida. Consigned by Larry Mejias's appropriately named Fast Horses, the gray filly is out of the unraced Super Holiday (Super Saver) and from the family of graded winner Double Honor.

“I am really happy with that work,” Mejias said. “That filly had been working really fast at the farm. She's not too big, she's medium-sized, but she's always flying. I am very happy with the work.”

The Florida-bred filly, purchased for $19,000 at last year's OBS October sale, was entered in the OBS Spring sale where she worked in :9 4/5, but came up short on the gallop-out, according to Mejias. She RNA'd for $95,000 in April.

“I entered her [in April] because she's fast, but you need a good gallop out,” Mejias said. “There is a difference if you work in :10 flat and you gallop out in :34 and change, people don't like that.”

Of the filly's gallop-out Wednesday, Mejias said “She worked good–:20 2/5 and then :31 3/5 and :44 4/5. I think it was the best gallop-out of the day.”

Mejias continued, “I want to train the horses the best I can. Some people like :10 flat, some people like :9 4/5, but in my opinion some horses work in :10 2/5 and do a great gallop-out  and that's different than when you work in :10 and the gallop-out is no good. There is a difference when you come into an OBS sale and you can do what people like best, :10 flat or :9 4/5, but some horses work in :10 2/5 and do a good gallop out. There is a difference from when you train a horse for racing and from when you are training for pinhooking. For pinhooking, they have to go fast, but you also have to train the horse to race. That's my opinion.”

Mejias's Barn 15 at OBS is just across from the Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consignment of his nephew Keiber Rengifo.

“I started my Fast Horses consignment last year,” Mejias said. “I had been selling with my nephew Keiber's Golden Rock. I sold all of my horses with him. But Keiber had so many horses, so I started my own  consignment and I've been doing great so far. Last year, I had 10 or 11 horses for myself and I sold them all.”

Also during Wednesday's session of the under-tack show, a filly by Flatter (hip 560) became the first of the week to shade :10 seconds when she worked in :9 4/5 for Julie Davies. The gray 2-year-old is out of the unraced Wicked Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-sister to Grade I winner Wickedly Perfect (Congrats).

Davies purchased the filly for $95,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning at 7:30 a.m. daily. The June sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday. Bidding begins each day at 10 a.m.