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Mike Repole’s Uncle Mo , last year’s champion 2-year-old male who was scratched out of this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) due to a liver ailment, has been retired from racing.
The Indian Charlie colt, who ran 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 5, will enter stud next year at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. A fee will be announced later.
Uncle Mo was retired after blood tests revealed that the gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) enzyme was elevated. During the spring, the enzyme problem led to cholangiohepatitis, a liver disease, and caused Uncle Mo to miss the Triple Crown. Uncle Mo currently is not suffering from the disease.
“It was really bad in March and April,” Repole said. “What he has now is just a high GGT. We knew this could be brought on by stress, such as running and racing.”
Uncle Mo created an immediate sensation when he won by 14 1/4 lengths at Saratoga at 2 in his first start while recording a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Skipping the traditional non-winners of one other than, Uncle Mo contested the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park and won by 4 3/4 lengths in a spectacular 1:34.51 for the mile. He clinched the divisional championship with a 4 1/4-length score in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) in his seasonal finale.
Uncle Mo began his 3-year-old season with a victory in the Timely Writer Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March. He then ran third in the Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) in April. After missing the Triple Crown, he returned to Saratoga to run second, beaten a nose, in the Foxwoods King’s Bishop Stakes (gr. I) and then captured the Kelso Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Oct. 1 while recording a 118 Beyer in what was his last start before the Classic. In the Classic, Uncle Mo raced in second before weakening in the stretch.
During his career, Uncle Mo won five of eight starts and earned $1,606,000. He was trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden in all his races by John Velazquez. Bred in Kentucky by Dr. D. Michael Cavey, Uncle Mo was produced from the stakes-placed Arch mare Playa Maya.
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