Re: THE OFFICIAL UNCLE MO, "TRIPLE CROWN THREAD". BREEDERS CUP IS THE FIRST STOP!
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</TD><TD class=bloginfo>Talking Horses
National and local horse racing news
By Tim Wilkin
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Uncle Mo might really be something special
October 12, 2010 at 4:26 pm by Tim Wilkin
So, do you think trainer Todd Pletcher has something in that star-studded barn of his?
Oh, we know about Quality Road and Life At Ten and Malibu Prayer. But, the four legged creature that has the Belmont backstretch all abuzz is a 2-year-old colt named Uncle Mo.
On Saturday, Uncle Mo (named after that great sports word momentum) ran away and hid from five others in the Grade I Champagne at Belmont Park. Uncle Mo won by 4 3/4 lengths and covered the mile in a quick 1:34.51.
http://blog.timesunion.com/horseracing/files/2010/10/uncle-mo.jpg
Uncle Mo and jockey John Velazquez win the Grade I Champagne at Belmont on Oct. 9. (Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association)
This was just the second start for the son of Indian Charlie. He demolished a six furlong maiden field by 14 1/2 lengths at Saratoga on Travers Day. Pletcher, who has had many a good-looking juvenile colt in his barn over the years. This one has him gushing and Pletcher doesn’t gush all that much.
“Most of our 2-year-olds came out in April or May or June or July,” Pletcher said Tuesday by cellphone from New York. “This horse came to us a little later and he wowed us in the mornings and then he did something extra special in his maiden race. He took a big step forward in a Grade I and put on a display like that …”
The next stop on Uncle Mo’s schedule is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6. The colt, who cost owner Mike Repole $220,000, will remain at Belmont until shipping to Louisville on Oct. 26.
After winning his first two starts by a combined 19 1/4 lengths, you might think the horse can’t possibly get any better. Perhaps he can.
“The scary thing,” Pletcher said, “is that I think he is still learning. He has an enormous amount of natural ability and seems to do things almost effortlessly. We haven’t seen something like this in awhile. You always hold your breath, but, so far, he looks great.”
Pletcher had the horse everyone thought was the best 3-year-old of his generation this past spring in Eskendereya. He never made it to the starting gate at Churchill Downs after soft tissue damage was found in his left front let a week before the race.
However, when you have a horse like Uncle Mo, it’s nearly impossible not to think about the future.
“You know, Mike (Repole) and I talked a little bit about that,” Pletcher said. “There is a race in May at Churchill Downs that everyone thinks about. I know you can’t take anything for granted, especially something that is going to happen in six months. After his maiden win, we focused on the Champagne. Now, we’ll start thinking about the Breeders’ Cup.”
Uncle Mo, who went off as the 1-5 favorite in the Champagne, will be the likely favorite in the Juvenile. He’ll be running against the likes of the Rick Dutrow-trained Boys at Tosconova, who won the Hopeful at Saratoga on Labor Day.
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<TABLE id=maincontent cellSpacing=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=leftcolumn><TABLE id=blogheader><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD><TD class=bloginfo>Talking HorsesNational and local horse racing news
By Tim Wilkin
</TD><TD class=setter></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Uncle Mo might really be something special
October 12, 2010 at 4:26 pm by Tim Wilkin
So, do you think trainer Todd Pletcher has something in that star-studded barn of his?
Oh, we know about Quality Road and Life At Ten and Malibu Prayer. But, the four legged creature that has the Belmont backstretch all abuzz is a 2-year-old colt named Uncle Mo.
On Saturday, Uncle Mo (named after that great sports word momentum) ran away and hid from five others in the Grade I Champagne at Belmont Park. Uncle Mo won by 4 3/4 lengths and covered the mile in a quick 1:34.51.
http://blog.timesunion.com/horseracing/files/2010/10/uncle-mo.jpg
Uncle Mo and jockey John Velazquez win the Grade I Champagne at Belmont on Oct. 9. (Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association)This was just the second start for the son of Indian Charlie. He demolished a six furlong maiden field by 14 1/2 lengths at Saratoga on Travers Day. Pletcher, who has had many a good-looking juvenile colt in his barn over the years. This one has him gushing and Pletcher doesn’t gush all that much.
“Most of our 2-year-olds came out in April or May or June or July,” Pletcher said Tuesday by cellphone from New York. “This horse came to us a little later and he wowed us in the mornings and then he did something extra special in his maiden race. He took a big step forward in a Grade I and put on a display like that …”
The next stop on Uncle Mo’s schedule is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6. The colt, who cost owner Mike Repole $220,000, will remain at Belmont until shipping to Louisville on Oct. 26.
After winning his first two starts by a combined 19 1/4 lengths, you might think the horse can’t possibly get any better. Perhaps he can.
“The scary thing,” Pletcher said, “is that I think he is still learning. He has an enormous amount of natural ability and seems to do things almost effortlessly. We haven’t seen something like this in awhile. You always hold your breath, but, so far, he looks great.”
Pletcher had the horse everyone thought was the best 3-year-old of his generation this past spring in Eskendereya. He never made it to the starting gate at Churchill Downs after soft tissue damage was found in his left front let a week before the race.
However, when you have a horse like Uncle Mo, it’s nearly impossible not to think about the future.
“You know, Mike (Repole) and I talked a little bit about that,” Pletcher said. “There is a race in May at Churchill Downs that everyone thinks about. I know you can’t take anything for granted, especially something that is going to happen in six months. After his maiden win, we focused on the Champagne. Now, we’ll start thinking about the Breeders’ Cup.”
Uncle Mo, who went off as the 1-5 favorite in the Champagne, will be the likely favorite in the Juvenile. He’ll be running against the likes of the Rick Dutrow-trained Boys at Tosconova, who won the Hopeful at Saratoga on Labor Day.
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