Uncle Mo

By now, no doubt, it must be among my most wearily familiar complaints. Only last week, in fact, I was again lamenting the days when old-school trainers would start Classic campaigns round one turn, gaining sharpness and conditioning without entering a stress zone. Nowadays those benefits are forfeited by the twin imperatives of hiding horses in their stalls, even as they need GI Kentucky Derby points. Those points being unavailable in sprints, the defining test of the American Thoroughbred has duly been shorn of raw speed. Other traditionalists presumably shared...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--A strong tradition for any Kentucky Derby hopeful along the campaign trail to May is passing the two turn test. With distance in mind, owners and trainers are looking for their nominees to stretch their legs, embrace the debate that comes in the form of traffic and find ways to grind out a hard-earned victory. At Oaklawn Park in the GII Rebel Stakes on Sunday, WinStar, First Go Racing and CHC Inc. owned colt Class President (Uncle Mo--Top Quality, by Quality Road) proved best at the wire as...

Gary and Mary West's Sticker Shock (Uncle Mo--Smokey's Love, by Forestry) made it two-for-two going a route of ground when winning at Oaklawn Thursday afternoon. Allowed to settle in a two-wide third as Copper Wind (Gun Runner) led the way through a :23.49 quarter, the 3-2 favorite, who was getting-first-time Lasix here, took closer order as the pacesetter kept up the tempo through a half-mile in :47.62. Starting to put the pressure on the leader as the round the far turn, the West homebred held a narrow advantage straightening for...

"Looking for the hidden gem." That, to Mike Slezak, is the point of crossover; the place where his breakout success dovetails with a personal passion that has now evolved into a way of life. "Which means trying to ask questions in a different way," he elaborates. "Not making assumptions, looking a little closer." To the many who first encountered Slezak in his American Idol debrief shows, the next stage of the analogy will make perfect sense. "It's scouting for a contestant like David Cook," he explains. "No-one thought he was...

Star Of Wonder (Uncle Mo) has been scratched from the G1 Saudi Cup on the advice of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) stewards on Saturday morning. Racing for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Sons, the five-year-old entire was administered a topical substance to all four limbs on raceday in contravention of Article 134(10)(4) of the Rules of Racing. Trained by Saad Aljenade, Star of Wonder was third in the GIII Pimlico Special Stakes last year. Sold for $325,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale, he...

FIRST CALL BOB (c, 4, Uncle Mo--Walk Close {GSW, $294,458}, by Tapit) was late to the races, but he was first home on this unveiling. Giving the gate crew some trouble before the start, they finally managed to convince him to load and he broke well to push the leading pair until about the half-mile marker. Taking over at the three-eighths as Mainstream (Speightstown) tried to mount a response, the 9-2 shot kicked away from his would-be challengers and won by 3 1/4 lengths over Love'em Or Liam (Liam's Map)...

The betting public couldn't take their eyes off him before the race, and Code Review (Uncle Mo) never stopped going in the lane after posting brisk early fractions, striding home to become his late sire's newest 'TDN Rising Star. presented by Hagyard' at Gulfstream Park. Code Review left the gates as the 3-5 favorite and stepped forward to contest the pace through an opening quarter in :21.80, and a half in :44.90. On a narrow advantage at the head of affairs with challengers mounting bids on both sides, he responded...

Bill Casner's Rafter C Ranch went to $260,000 to acquire Alisal (Uncle Mo), a 3-year-old stakes-placed filly, from Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton January Digital Sale. The priciest filly or mare sold Tuesday, Alisal raced exclusively at Remington Park for trainer H. Ray Ashford, Jr., breaking her maiden in her second start Oct. 9 and adding an allowance win next out Nov. 15 before capping off her season with a runner-up effort in the Toby Keith Stakes Dec. 20. Consigned by Warrendale Sales as a racing or broodmare prospect, Casner seems fit to...

LEXINGTON, KY - The 2026 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale concluded its compressed two-day run Tuesday. "Another really good day," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "Overall, it was a great, solid day of trading. Everyone felt like it was a very honest and strong market overall." That market strength and diversity was on display with as the top 25 horses came from 18 different consignors and sold to 24 individual buyers. The top 13 yearlings were also each by different stallions. After a three-day sale...

10th-SA, $70k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6fT, 7:30 p.m. ET BAILARINA (Uncle Mo) is a full-sister to SW and GIII Delaware Oaks third Mo Shopping and a half to the versatile Always Shopping (Awesome Again), winner of the GII Gazelle Stakes on the main track and the GIII La Prevoyante Stakes on the grass. The filly's dam Stopshoppingmaria (More Than Ready) also handled a variety of surfaces, with runner-up efforts in the GI Frizette Stakes and GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and a victory in the Ladies' Turf Sprint Stakes....

6th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 2:48 p.m. ET. A $525,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select yearling, EASTERLY (Uncle Mo) goes out for WinStar, CHC and First Go Racing. The Brad Cox trainee's extended female family includes Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Delightful Mary (Limehouse), MGSW Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris) and Japanese multiple Group 1 stakes placed Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). Bred by WinStar and campaigned by Easterly's ownership group, Class President was sent to Todd Pletcher--who of course trained the colt's sire. TJCIS PPS 1st-FG, $55K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:45...

Needless to say, some people are always going to chase the fast buck. In the main, however, we all know this to be the longest of games. You can't drive the green from every tee; nor should you panic if your first drive lands in the water. There are 17 more holes to go. For Jane Lyon and her late husband Frank, one of the least fulfilling days in their Turf journey must have been the GI Matron Stakes of 2005. They had just made an expensive gamble to restore...