G M B Racing's Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), who has suffered through a series of notoriously troubled trips, finally got clean run and responded with a resounding three-length victory in the $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown Saturday.
Drawn gate eight, Mo Tom dropped himself straight out the back of field as Mo Don't No (Uncle Mo) set a moderate pace while stretching out to two turns for the first time. Guided out into the clear on the backstretch run, Mo Tom was up into about midfield, but was committed to an overland trip around the second turn. Catching the eye while four or five deep on the bend, he came to tackle Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John) once heads were turned for home and scampered away to a much-the-best success as the even-money favorite. New York raider Adventist (Any Given Saturday), a latest fourth in the GII Peter Pan S., was close up but in traffic at the half-mile marker and rallied in the late stages to be clearly second ahead of longshot Discreet Lover (Repent) in third.
“I was pleased with how he ran,” said winning trainer Tom Amoss. “It was a really good race. He gave up a lot of ground on the turn and he overcame a slow pace up front. I was really proud of him.”
Mo Tom, third in last year's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., opened 2015 with a win in the Jan. 16 GIII LeComte S., but his string of bad luck started when he was forced to check sharply in the Feb. 20 GII Risen Star S. before coming home third to Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}). Things only got worse when he ran up on heels and steadied sharply once again in the stretch before finishing fourth in the GII Louisiana Derby. He endured another troubled trip when eighth, beaten 10 1/4 lengths, in the May 7 GI Kentucky Derby last time out.
Amoss admitted his Derby effort knocked Mo Tom out, but the trainer thinks his charge has improved since the Classic and he looks for him to continue to mature.
“Physically, I would say he has matured somewhat since the Derby, but there is still a ways to go,” Amoss said. “It's been a slow process. I would have thought by now he would look like a full horse, but it just hasn't happened yet. And that leads me to believe the best is yet to come.”
As for where the colt could start next, Amoss said, “I know, speaking with the Bensons, who were here for the race, that they want to go east. We haven't solidified a spot, but it's safe to say that Saratoga or New Jersey is in this horse's future. I just don't know which race.”
Don'tforgetaboutme (Malibu Moon), a now 4-year-old half-sister to Mo Tom, sold for $675,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale, while now 5-year-old half-sister Rubindy (Bernardini) brought $400,000 at the same sale. Caroni produced a filly by Tiznow in 2015 and a filly by Pioneerof the Nile in 2016.
Saturday, Thistledown
OHIO DERBY, $500,000, TDN, 6-25, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:51.82, ft.
1–MO TOM, 122, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Caroni, by Rubiano
2nd Dam: Douce Carotte, by Caro (Ire)
3rd Dam: Kshesinskaya, by Nijinsky II
($150,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-G M B Racing; B-Hargus & Sandra
Sexton & Silver Fern Farm (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss; J-Javier
Castellano. $300,000. Lifetime Record: GSW, 9-4-0-3,
$591,526. *1/2 to Beautician (Dehere), SW & MGISP,
$636,175; Bella Castani (Big Brown), SW, $128,225.[bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”]2–Adventist, 120, c, 3, Any Given Saturday–Sharp Minister, by
Deputy Minister. ($100,000 Ylg '14 FTKOCT). O-Treadway
Racing Stable; B-Monticule (KY); T-Leah Gyarmati. $100,000.[bullet ad=”eqb-yearlingpurchase”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”equix-optimatch”]3–Discreet Lover, 120, c, 3, Repent–Discreet Chat, by Discreet
Cat. ($14,000 RNA Ylg '14 OBSAUG; $10,000 2yo '15 EASMAY).
O-Trin-Brook Stables, Inc.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC.
(FL); T-Uriah St. Lewis. $50,000.[bullet ad=”woodford-winning”]Margins: 3, 2 3/4, NK. Odds: 1.10, 6.20, 87.90.
Also Ran: Cocked and Loaded, Van Damme, Mo Dont No, Wild About Deb, Riding in the Wind, Decorated Soldier, Thatlookonyerface. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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