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Uncle Mo

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Uncle Mo
Uncle Mo (right) battles Caleb's Posse in the 2011 King's Bishop Stakes.
SireIndian Charlie
GrandsireIn Excess
DamPlaya Maya
DamsireArch
SexStallion
Foaled (2008-03-10) March 10, 2008 (age 16)
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederD. Michael Cavey
OwnerRepole Stable
TrainerTodd A. Pletcher
Record8: 5-1-1
EarningsUS$1,336,000
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (2010)
Timely Writer Stakes (2011)
Kelso Handicap (2011)
Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2010)
Awards
American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (2010)
Last updated on 8 September 2020

Uncle Mo (foaled March 10, 2008, in Kentucky) is an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse who went undefeated in his two-year-old season and was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old of 2010. However, his three-year-old season was disrupted by illness, causing him to miss the Kentucky Derby. Retired to stud in 2012, he was the leading freshman sire with his first foal crop, which included 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist.

Racing career

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2010: two-year-old season

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In his first start, a maiden special weight on the Travers undercard at Saratoga, Uncle Mo led at every call to beat a field of 2-year-olds by 14 1/4 lengths. In his next start, the Grade I Champagne Stakes, he took the lead early and never looked back en route to a 5-length win in the time of 1:34 2/5 seconds—faster than Secretariat's 1972 Champagne win.

In the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Uncle Mo won by four lengths over Grade 1 winner Boys at Tosconova.[1] He was voted the 2010 Eclipse Award as the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.[2]

2011: three-year-old season

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As the early favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series,[3] Uncle Mo made his 3-year-old debut in the Timely Writer, a one-turn mile overnight stakes at Gulfstream Park. After dawdling on the lead for the first three-quarters of a mile, he came home in 22 4/5 for the final quarter.

His next start was the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct on April 9.[4] Running 9 furlongs for the first time in his career, Uncle Mo was defeated by Toby's Corner and finished third.

After his upset at 1-10 odds, he was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal infection but was still sent to Churchill Downs in anticipation of a start in the Kentucky Derby. After finishing a course of antibiotics, regressing immediately after stopping medication, and losing over 70 pounds in the weeks before the Derby, he was scratched the day before the race.[5]

Sent to Winstar Farm to recuperate and receive attention from top veterinarians, Uncle Mo was diagnosed with cholangiohepatitis, a rare liver disease. He began treatment while continuing to rest at Winstar. After gaining back 110 pounds in two months, he returned to trainer Todd Pletcher's barn at Saratoga on July 11, 2011. He resumed training and finished second to Caleb's Posse in the 7-furlong King's Bishop Stakes on August 1, 2011.

Retirement

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Uncle Mo was retired from racing on November 10, 2011, shortly after finishing 10th in the Breeders' Cup Classic. His retirement was prompted due to elevated levels of the liver enzyme GGT, which also occurred earlier in the season and led to a diagnosis of cholangiohepatitis.

Stud record

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Uncle Mo began standing at Ashford Stud, the American arm of Irish breeding giant Coolmore, for the 2012 Thoroughbred breeding season,[6] and is now a "shuttle stallion" servicing mares at Coolmore's American and Australian farms.[7][8]

Uncle Mo was the leading freshman sire of 2015 in North America and the overall leading sire of two-year-olds in Europe and North America.[9] In 2016, he was not only the leading second-crop sire, he also finished third in the general sire listing despite having only two crops of racing age.[10] His stud fee was increased to $150,000 for the 2017 season.[11]

Notable progeny

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Uncle Mo has sired 11 individual Grade I winners.

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Foaled Name Sex Major Wins
2013 Gomo f Alcibiades Stakes
2013 Nyquist c Del Mar Futurity, FrontRunner Stakes, Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby
2013 Outwork c Wood Memorial Stakes
2013 Unbridled Mo f Apple Blossom Handicap
2014 Mo Town c Hollywood Derby
2015 Dream Tree f Starlet Stakes
2016 Mo Forza c Hollywood Derby
2017 Bast f Del Mar Debutante Stakes, Chandelier Stakes, Starlet Stakes
2017 Yaupon c Forego Stakes
2018 Golden Pal c Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
2019 Mo Donegal c Belmont Stakes
2019 Adare Manor f Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (2023, 2024)
2019 A Mo Reay f Beholder Mile Stakes
2020 Arabian Knight c Pacific Classic Stakes
2020 Kingsbarns c Stephen Foster Stakes

Race Record

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Date Track Race Distance Finish
8/23/2010 Saratoga Maiden 6 Furlongs 1
10/9/2010 Belmont Park Champagne Stakes 8 Furlongs 1
11/6//2010 Churchill Downs Breeders' Cup Juvenile 8 ½ Furlongs 1
3/12/2011 Gulfstream Park Timely Writer Stakes 8 Furlongs 1
4/9/2011 Aqueduct Wood Memorial 9 Furlongs 3
8/27/2011 Saratoga King's Bishop Stakes 7 Furlongs 2
10/1/2011 Belmont Park Kelso Handicap 8 Furlongs 1
11/5/2011 Churchill Downs Breeders' Cup Classic 10 Furlongs 10

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Uncle Mo
Sire
Indian Charlie
In Excess Siberian Express Caro
Indian Call
Kantado Saulingo
Vi
Soviet Sojourn Leo Castelli Sovereign Dancer
Suspicious Native
Political Parfait Diplomat Way
Peach Butter
Dam
Playa Maya
Arch Kris S. Roberto
Sharp Queen
Aurora Danzig
Althea
Dixie Slippers Dixieland Band Northern Dancer
Mississippi Mud
Cyane's Slippers Cyane
Hot Slippers

References

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  1. ^ Bloomberg Businessweek November 06, 2010
  2. ^ Daily Racing Form, January 6, 2011
  3. ^ "MSNC, February 14, 2011". Archived from the original on February 15, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  4. ^ BloodHorse, March 31, 2011
  5. ^ "Uncle Mo Scratched Out of Kentucky Derby". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  6. ^ Grening, David (November 11, 2011). "Uncle Mo retired from racing". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  7. ^ "Coolmore Stallions: Coolmore America Roster". Coolmore Stud. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  8. ^ "Coolmore Stallions: Coolmore Australia Roster". Coolmore Stud. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  9. ^ Oppenheim, Bill (22 March 2016). "The Uncle Mo Show". www.thoroughbreddailynews.com. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Interactive Sire Lists". www.bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Ashford Stud Releases 2017 Fees". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 26 January 2017.