Uncle Mo To Race At 2011 Saratoga Meet – At Least That’s What Owner Mike Repole Is Hoping For

By Author: Lee Lane-Edgar
Total Articles: 365
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The word on Uncle Mo according to his trainer Todd Pletcher is that he could return to racing in August at Saratoga for the Grade 1 King’s Bishop on August 27th. He would be making his return at the same track over which he dazzled us with a breathtaking 15 length maiden win at 6 furlongs back on August 28, 2010.

Uncle Mo has been recuperating at WinStar Farm, following an illness that was diagnosed as cholangiohepatitis, which is a severe inflammation of the liver. He has now shipped to Pletcher’s training stable at Saratoga.

He had been galloping at the farm and making steady progress, and his veterinarians saw many good signs including healthy appetite, good energy level, shiny coat, and good weight gain (67 pounds).

Although his withdrawal from the Kentucky Derby at the last moment was tremendously disappointing, it was probably the right move. Just like cramming for an exam is never a good idea, horses should not be hurried along in their progress just to make the big race, especially when this horse could truly be something special. Because he skipped the Triple Crown, he will have to do something ...
... really spectacular to gain the attention of the non-racing fan or even the casual fan.

If Uncle Mo is to win Horse of the Year, he will have to win not only the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, but he will have to take at least one more Grade 1 race, such as the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and then go on to win the Breeder’s Cup Classic.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he does accomplish that feat. Even though he really needs to win all his races, Pletcher thinks Uncle Mo is the best horse of his generation. For those who think his connections were making excuses for him after his shocking loss in the Wood Memorial, I think they are barking up the wrong tree. He was just too good as a two year old to be that bad, and the sickness that overcame him should be sufficient justification for anyone. I think we are going to see the real Uncle Mo the second half of the year.

All three Triple Crown races were won by different horses – the Kentucky Derby by Animal Kingdom, the Preakness by Shackleford, and the Belmont Stakes by Ruler on Ice. As a result, no dominant 3-year-old has emerged and the 3-year-old championship is still very wide open.

It really is a shame that Uncle Mo was not healthy enough for the Triple Crown series, because the lack of a dominant 3-year-old runner makes it all the more likely that Uncle Mo would have become the next Triple Crown winner had the healthy Uncle Mo been allowed to compete. It is not as if he would have had to face a Smarty Jones, Barbaro, or Big Brown.