Uncle Mo May Have Had An Excuse In The Wood

By Author: Lee Lane-Edgar
Total Articles: 365
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Apparently, after undergoing a battery of tests following his disappointing third place finish in the Wood Memorial, they have found that Kentucky Derby prospect Uncle Mo had a gastrointestinal tract infection.

The owner Mike Repole was relieved that it was nothing more serious and is optimistic that his star will be able to return to training. Still, he must be 100 percent in order to be present for the Kentucky Derby on May 7th, otherwise they will go straight to the Preakness.

In addition to the infection, Uncle Mo stepped on himself during the running of the Wood which tore out a piece of his hoof the size of a quarter, but trainer Todd Pletcher does not believe that was the cause of his poor showing.

If Uncle Mo does indeed make it to the Derby starting gate, will he be the favorite? Now with The Factor running poorly in the Arkansas Derby this past weekend, the only other horse that might challenge him for favoritism is Florida Derby winner Dialed In.

According to an informal poll on Brisnet.com, in which participants are asked to select who they think will win the Kentucky Derby, Dialed In ...
... and Uncle Mo both tied with 22% of the votes. If this is any indication of the money that will be wagered on each of these horses, then they may be vying for favoritism, perhaps at around 3-1.

The people who happened to put a few bucks on Dialed In for pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager look to be getting some value on Derby day now that Uncle Mo’s stock price has fallen a bit.

We hope that Uncle Mo can overcome his infection and make a full recovery, because he really is one of the most talented young horses we have seen since perhaps Smarty Jones or Barbaro.

Some will surely argue that Uncle Mo will not have enough foundation under him as a three year old in order to make an impact in the Derby, but there are a couple reasons to dispute this. First, this year’s field seems to be unusually mediocre compared to recent years, and secondly, Uncle Mo’s trainer is Todd Pletcher, and if anyone can get a horse ready for a race, it is him.

Pletcher has entered some 20 starters in the Derby only to fail before Super Saver broke through last year, and you know the expression - when it rains, it pours. And recall Super Saver’s jockey Calvin Borel - he won his first Derby in 2007 aboard Street Sense, and then took it again in 2009 with Mine That Bird and again in 2010 with Super Saver. If you believe that luck comes in streaks, then don’t give up on Uncle Mo just yet.

Don’t forget to join the community as a VIP and get access to free simulated races including the Kentucky Derby. You can jockey or fictitiously bet the contenders such as Dialed In and Uncle Mo too. If you love horse racing games, you will love being part of our game and community. Imagine being the owner of a top virtual Thoroughbred race horse and compete against others for real prizes and community recognition.