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Mo less than avuncular with Champagne rivals
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| Uncle Mo was much the best in the Champagne
(Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) |
Repole Stable's UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie) lived up to the pre-race hype with
an emphatic 4 3/4-length score in Saturday's $300,000
Champagne S. (G1) at Belmont Park. The 1-5 favorite off a dazzling 14
1/4-length debut win at Saratoga August 28, the Todd Pletcher trainee was tested
early by 22-1 chance I'm Steppin' It Up (Congrats), who pressured the favorite
through splits of :22 2/5 and :45 4/5. Uncle Mo opened up by a length on that
rival after six panels in 1:10 2/5, then shifted into another gear in the
stretch and drew off to win the one-mile, fast-track contest in 1:34 2/5.
Mountain Town (Cape Town), who was claimed for $75,000 out of his debut
victory at Saratoga, took a brief run at Uncle Mo at the top of the stretch but
was found wanting. However, the bay was an admirable second by a margin of 9 3/4
lengths for new owner Paul Pompa Jr. and trainer Rick Dutrow at odds of 9-1,
with I'm Steppin' It Up completed the trifecta by a neck over Settle for Medal (Medallist).
Meridian Magic (Mineshaft) was fifth and Brother in Arms (Yes It's True), the
6-1 second choice, trailed after tracking the early leaders. The winner's
entrymate, Stay Thirsty (Bernardini), was scratched.
"Even though he went pretty fast he was doing it comfortably," jockey John
Velazquez said of Uncle Mo. "Once we hit the three-eighths pole he kind of let
go of the bit and relaxed. And then when I asked him at the quarter pole he was
there. The instant I asked him he accelerated. He really did surprise me in how
quickly he picked it up. He galloped out really well."
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Uncle Mo returned $2.40, $2.10 and $2.10. Mountain Top paid $4.70 and $3.70,
while I'm Steppin It Up gave back $5.20. The exacta paid $11.40 and the 1-5-4
trifecta was worth $67.
Uncle Mo will now head to Churchill Downs for the November 6 Breeders' Cup
Juvenile (G1), where the $216,000-earner might go favored.
"The sky's the limit," Pletcher said. "I don't see how a horse could start a
career more impressively than he has. His maiden was as good as I've seen, and
then to come back and run 1:34 2/5 in the Champagne is unbelievable. He'll ship
to Churchill Downs on (October 26) and have one work over the track."
A $220,000 Keeneland September yearling, Uncle Mo was produced by the
multiple stakes-placed Playa Maya (Arch). His female family has produced the
likes of Argentinean Group 1 winner Eithan (Polish Numbers) and Grade 3 scorer
Woods of Windsor (Woodman).
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