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Uncle Mo gets back to work
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| Owner Mike Repole believes that Uncle Mo is back to his championship-level form
(©Breeders' Cup Ltd.) |
UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie) took the first steps toward a return to the races
early Friday morning at Saratoga, breezing three furlongs in a move that trainer
Todd Pletcher called "perfect."With exercise rider Patti Krotenko aboard, Uncle Mo covered the distance in
an easy :38 2/5, according to NYRA clockers, and galloping out a half-mile in :51
3/5 shortly after 6 a.m. (EDT)
It was the first workout for Uncle Mo since May, when he was knocked off the
Triple Crown trail and scratched from the Kentucky Derby (G1) with a liver
disorder.
"It was perfect," said Pletcher said of the move. "I told Patti to go between
:37 and :39, and he went in :38 2/5 and galloped out in :51, so it was exactly
what we were hoping for today."
Both Pletcher and owner Mike Repole, who was on hand for the breeze, said
they were delighted with the colt's progress since he returned to training on
July 1 at WinStar Farm, where he had been recuperating. Last year's two-year-old
colt champion, Uncle Mo arrived at Saratoga on July 11 having gained back 100
pounds, and has been galloping daily since then.
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"He's a different horse. He's the horse he was when he was a two-year-old.
He's been here for over a week now and gained five more pounds with heavy
training," Repole said. "His blood work keeps improving every single day, which
is great. It's nice to see him out there.
"It's kind of déjà vu," he added. "Last time I saw him running down the
stretch at Saratoga he was winning by 14 1/2 lengths in his maiden, and today it
looked like there was a horse 15 lengths behind him. It's a good day. It feels
like I won a big race today and it was only a three-furlong work."
The goal for Uncle Mo is Saratoga's King's Bishop S. (G1) on August 27, which
would be his first start since finishing third in the Wood Memorial S. (G1) at
Aqueduct on April 9, his first loss after four straight wins.
For video of Uncle Mo this morning at Saratoga with comments from owner Mike
Repole, click
here.
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