WinStar Farm and Woodford Thoroughbreds have partnered to acquire the breeding rights to Repole Stable's homebred 3-year-old colt Outwork , winner of this year's Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) from the first crop of sire sensation Uncle Mo .
“We are thrilled to work with John (Sykes) and Matt (Lyons) of Woodford Thoroughbreds and Mike (Repole) on such an exciting young grade I-winning son of superstar stallion Uncle Mo,” said Elliott Walden, president and chief executive officer of WinStar. “Uncle Mo trained here on the farm, and ever since Outwork was born at WinStar, he reminded us of his sire, from the time he was a young horse to when he was in training as a 2-year-old.
"We have two great farms behind him along with Mike Repole. The sky is the limit on Outwork’s stallion career,” Walden said.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Outwork will continue to be campaigned by Repole Stable throughout the remainder of his racing career, before retiring to WinStar's operation near Versailles, Ky. The colt is being freshened for a summer return in New York, which will likely be the one-mile, $500,000 Dwyer Stakes (gr. III) on July 9 at Belmont Park.
Repole said he is excited about Outwork's prospects as a stallion because of his similarities to Uncle Mo, who Repole raced. At 2 Uncle Mo was honored as the Eclipse Award champion juvenile male. At 3 he won the grade II Kelso Handicap and placed in the Foxwoods King's Bishop Stakes and the Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial Stakes (both gr. I) before retiring with more than $1.6 million in earnings. Uncle Mo, who stands at Ashford Stud, is the runaway leading second-crop sire this year and ranks second on the general leading sire list behind Tapit .
"What strikes me the most about Outwork is that he's an identical physical to his sire Uncle Mo, and Outwork has always shown that pure speed of Uncle Mo, both as a 2-year-old and as a 3-year-old," Repole said.
Outwork became Uncle Mo's first winner last year after winning his Keeneland debut at 4 1/2 furlongs in April by 2 1/4 lengths. This year at 3, Outwork made his first start around two turns in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II), yielding late to stablemate and recent Belmont Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Destin to finish a length back in second. The colt out of Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker , followed that performance with his first graded stakes win in the Wood Memorial. In the Wood he overcame a contentious pace and wide trip, running 42 feet farther than the runner-up, according to Trakus, and earned a 1 1/2 from Thoro-Graph.
"We have enjoyed great success with Congrats at WinStar, and are excited to partner with them on Outwork," said John Sykes of Woodford Thoroughbreds. "We look forward to supporting Outwork with our quality broodmare band."
Outwork is the second foal and second stakes horse produced by grade I stakes-placed Nonna Mia, who was also raced by Repole. The mare is a half sister to grade II winner Cairo Prince , who is out of Empire Maker's son Pioneerof the Nile .
