Uncle Mo's Mo Town Impresses in Hollywood Derby

Mo Town | Benoit photo

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Rewind exactly 12 months.

Mo Town (Uncle Mo), who earned the 'TDN Rising Star' designation when rolling home by seven lengths in his previous outing, pulled clear in the final eighth of a mile to take the GII Remsen S. and stamp himself as one of the early favorites for the 2017 Classics. Winless in four subsequent appearances, connections regrouped and gave the $200,000 Keeneland September graduate a try over the Belmont turf course Oct. 12. Despite a pedigree that doesn't exactly scream grass, Mo Town looked like a seasoned professional over the surface and earned a lofty 102 Beyer for a 6 1/2-length triumph. Given a shot at this final age-restricted Grade I for 2017, Mo Town kept his perfect turf record intact with a visually impressive rally to land Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.

Snagged back to the tail of the field by John Velazquez, who was looking for a second Grade I in as many days after winning Friday's Clark H. with Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}), Mo Town raced in the two path around the first turn and edged out a bit deeper to race with cover as the Derby field reached the Del Mar backstretch.

The plot began to thicken around the half-mile marker when Souper Tapit (Tapit) pressed forward into the lead, a move that was covered tidily by favored Sharp Samurai (First Samurai), who wrested command midway on the second bend. In the meantime, Mo Town still had just three rivals behind, but he jumped into the bridle nearing the quarter pole and was swung out about four wide to deliver his challenge at the head of the lane. Sharp Samurai went for home chased by Big Score, but Mo Town managed to sustain his momentum and raced over the top of his rivals and on to a good-looking success. Channel Maker, among the back markers on the turn, dove down to the inside and took a three-way go for second just ahead of Big Score. Sharp Samurai was forced to settle for fourth.

Pedigree Notes:

Mo Town, the fourth Grade I winner for his successful young stallion, is the first foal out of a winning daughter of John Gunther's talented GSW & GISP sprinter Molto Vita, making her a half-sister to SW & GSP Jaguar Paw (Giant's Causeway) and SW & MGSP Venetian Mask (Pulpit). Third dam Princess Polonia was a solid middle-distance runner in the Midwest for the late Chicago-based trainer Harvey Vanier in the early and mid 1990s, with a marquee in the GIII Sixty Sails H. at Sportsman's Park in 1994. Grazie Mille is the dam of a 2-year-old Pioneerof the Nile filly named Scusami, a yearling filly by Super Saver and a weanling full-sister to Mo Town. She was most recently covered by Curlin.

Saturday, Del Mar
HOLLYWOOD DERBY-GI, $301,380, DMR, 11-25, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.36, fm.
1–MO TOWN, 122, c, 3, by Uncle Mo&log=">Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Grazie Mille, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Molto Vita, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Princess Polonia, by Danzig
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($200,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Team D; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock (KY); T-Anthony W. Dutrow; J-John R. Velazquez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-1-1, $509,600. ***Werk Nick Rating: A+++.*** Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”glennwood-bred-raised-sold”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Channel Maker, 122, g, 3, English Channel–In Return, by Horse Chestnut (SAf). ($57,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber; B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.[bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”][bullet ad=”bsw-bloodstock-purchased-privately”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]3–Big Score, 122, c, 3, Mr. Big–Not Unusual, by Unusual Heat. O/B-George Krikorian (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $36,000.
Margins: 1, NO, NO. Odds: 2.10, 9.20, 7.90.
Also Ran: Sharp Samurai, Bowies Hero, Ritzy A. P., Ann Arbor Eddie, Souper Tapit, Just Howard.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
 

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