Uncle Mo, owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher, continued the momentum he had as a two-year-old with a win Saturday in the ungraded Timely Writer Stakes. Uncle Mo bumped the gate and broke slowly, but was able to go on straight for the lead, taking the field around the track at a moderate pace. With Madman Diaries scratched from the race, Uncle Mo's main adversary became Rattlesnake Bridge, who was coming off of a maiden win. The two were only heads apart at the quarter-pole, but when jockey Johnny Velazquez asked Uncle Mo to move, he responded, moving further away from the field. Uncle Mo continued on and won easily by 3 3/4 lengths.
Finishing behind Uncle Mo were Rattlesnake Bridge, Gallant Dreams, Rocking Out, and Schoolyard Cat.
In essence, this was a public workout for Uncle Mo. He was clearly better than the others in the field and was completely expected to win. It was pure pleasure to watch Uncle Mo return to the track in top form, and at odds of 1-9, watching is all you needed to do. Uncle Mo returned $2.10 for win, place, and show wagers and the $2 exacta paid only $4. His next race will likely be the Wood Memorial April 9th.
Photo: Courtesy Kentucky Derby
