We are even more bullish about Army Mule now than ever before given where he is in his trajectory, and as such we have no hesitation in recommending that both Floral Hall and No More Excuses — each expecting an Army Mule foal in 2025 — head right back to him again this spring.
Just to hit the highlights on why we love Army Mule at the moment, even though he only ran three times (though he was undefeated by a combined 22-1/4 lengths, including a win in the G1 Carter with a 114 Beyer), and even though he was the son of a regional stallion (though his looks and stride were good for an $825,000 price tag as a 2YO in-training), he started at the low end of the stud fee spectrum in Kentucky when made a $10,000 proposition his first year at stud (though at a farm, in John Sikura’s Hill ‘N’ Dale, which has made a regular habit of identifying brilliant but very lightly-raced prospects who succeed at stud).
Despite all those knocks against him, Army Mule’s progeny came out firing as 2YOs in 2022. He wound up 4th on the Freshman Sire List behind Bolt d’Oro, Good Magic and Justify, who had all started at much higher fees and had at least a third more foals than Army Mule. But Army Mule’s total of five black-type winners was just one less than the six that each of those top three had, and he had seven additional black-type horses to his credit as well.
Since then, Army Mule has added Grade 2 winner Danse Macabre and Grade 1 winner One In Vermillion to his tally, as well as 2024 Grade 3 winner Federal Judge. He is now up to 13 black-type winners from 136 runners (9.6%), with nine additional black-type horses (16.2%). And his AEI to CI ratio is incredible (1.39/1.05). That CI also indicates that what Army Mule has achieved so far has been done without much help at all from his mates, which is not surprising for a stallion starting at the fee he did in Kentucky.
Army Mule had a somewhat quiet 2024 (though Federal Judge was a brilliant winner of the G3 Phoenix and among the favorites for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, while classic-placed Stanley House hit the board in a handful of graded stakes this year), that wasn’t totally unexpected with his smallest crop of 2YOs coming to the races this year. But he covered a third more mares in 2022 (115) than he did in 2021 (83), once people had seen his first yearlings and his first juveniles at the breeze-up sales, and his 2023 book was almost twice as big again (at 199) after that first crop had run in 2022, despite a fee raise to $12,500 (which went even higher towards the end of the breeding season as his book filled up). He covered 160 mares in 2024 at an advertised fee of $25,000 following the graded scores by One In Vermillion and Danse Macabre.
With a slight drop to $20,000 in 2025, knowing what Army Mule has already done and what he has every right to do in the next few years, Army Mule looks like easily the best value in Kentucky this year. The commercial market has still been kind to him despite his quiet year (his yearlings averaged $74,572 in ‘24 for 44 sold; in ‘23 it was $75,765 for 40 sold), and it will continue to embrace him as his better-bred yearlings come through starting in 2025.
- Why Army Mule fits Floral Hall specifically
Floral Hall is a half-sister to the multiple G2W Skylighter, by A.P. Indy’s grandson Sky Mesa, and to black-type winner Cave Hill, by Frosted, a son of A.P. Indy’s grandson Tapit, while one of her half-sisters has produced the G3P/BTW Meru, also by Sky Mesa. As such, A.P. Indy’s grandson Army Mule figures to be a strong match for her.
Army Mule has a winner from his only runner out of a Bodemeister mare (Bodemeister being the sire of Floral Hall), and that is one of two winners from three runners for him out of mares by sons of Empire Maker. If we take it back another level and look at his production with mares by grandsons of Unbridled, Army Mule has four winners from six starters including a black-type winner. Plus, the aforementioned Stanley House is out of a mare by Unbridled’s son Unbridled’s Song, as is Army Mule’s ‘24 black-type winner You’reinthearmynow.
Physically this is a matchup that we still like a lot as well — Floral Hall is a leggy, elegant, feminine mare who will really benefit from the infusion of bone and substance that Army Mule brings to the table, to go along with his strength and incredible balance. On proclivities, the Army Mules have been able to do it all so far, and that should blend nicely with Floral Hall’s family, which has included successful runners at a variety of distances, surfaces and ages.
So everything about this pairing is still exciting, and we think it gives Floral Hall another excellent shot to be an important broodmare for Wasabi!
- Why Army Mule fits No More Excuses specifically
Although it might have contributed to a lower stud fee upon his retirement to stud, Army Mule’s status as a son of Friesan Fire is actually a point in his favor with regards to No More Excuses, as she is a half-sister to that stallion’s Maryland Million Classic-winning son Saratoga Bob — making this matchup one we’ve been thinking about for a couple years now. In addition, the A.P. Indy/Not For Love cross has been very successful despite Not For Love’s status as a regional stallion, with his daughters having produced the A.P. Indy-line G1Ws California Chrome and Max Player among 21 total black-type winners bred this way (TrueNicks now rates it an “A+” — it was an “A” a year ago).
One new development for this year’s recommendation is that the aforementioned Federal Judge is out of a mare by Congaree, the rare Blushing Groom-line stallion, and No More Excuses’s broodmare sire Kafwain traces to that horse in tail-male as well.
Physically, No More Excuses is a strapping, stretchy mare of perfect conformation and with tons of substance — she’s very easy to match with just about any type stallion, and should be a very nice like-to-like with Army Mule, who might benefit from the bit of length that she has over him. We also like that he’ll bring some precocity to the mix, as her family can tend to be a bit later-maturing. And whereas Army Mule was a bit fragile (a trait that he isn’t passing on so far), No More Excuses was hardy and tough, facing the starter 48 times in her career, winning 14 races and earning over a quarter-million dollars on the track.
So again, lots to like about this pairing still in 2025!