Saying “Uncle!” used to mean you had given up in a contest.
Remember that one? “Uncle!” is a word that has resolved countless childhood conflicts throughout the ages.
Once you recognized your opponent had you licked at arm wrestling or a thumb war, “Uncle!” was the magic word that conceded the match. And, upon uttering the word, it was time to walk away in humiliation and heal your wounded ego in private.
That used to be what saying “Uncle!” meant between two-year-olds in contests.
And then, Uncle Mo showed up and changed the game for two-year-old racehorses.
Say “Uncle!” if you’re winning well beyond daylight.
Say “Uncle!” if you’re breaking your maiden by 14 ½ lengths in your first lifetime start.
Say “Uncle!” if you just won a Grade I race on your second outing at a track.
In his two career starts, Uncle Mo has proven that screaming “Uncle!” isn’t what it used to be back in the day.
It’s all about winning now.
Uncle Mo, owned by Mike Repole, may be the best two-year-old pointing toward the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile on November 6, 2010. In six years of owning horses, Repole was 0-26 in graded outings. And then, Uncle Mo showed up.
On August 28, 2010, Uncle Mo delivered a stunning 14 ½ length maiden victory at Saratoga in his first lifetime start. It wasn’t your ordinary maiden. Uncle Mo led the field through the entire race and earned a 102 Beyer figure in that outing. He is currently tied with Boys at Toscanova for the best figure of the year by a juvenile from his maiden start. (Click photo to see video footage of the race)
After his maiden victory, Uncle Mo jumped directly into Grade I territory. He entered the Champagne Stakes as his second career start and delivered an authoritative 4 ¾ victory. In that race, Uncle Mo also gave Repole his first Grade I win as an owner.
And, Uncle Mo won the Champagne Stakes with pure style. His finishing time was 1:36.51 in the Champagne – only a fifth of a second away from the stakes record set by Devil’s Bag in 1983. Uncle Mo beat Secretariat and matched Seattle Slew in his finishing time at the outing. (Click photo to see video footage of Champagne Stakes)
So now, Uncle Mo heads to the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile to attempt a three-peat of victories.
I’m screaming “Uncle!”
And, I’m marveling at Uncle Mo.
It’s all about winning now.
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On Saturday, a field of nine Derby hopefuls will square off in the one-mile Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park in Southern Florida. With varying degrees of experience throughout the lineup, the likely favorite in the race will be Jackson Bend, a Florida-bred horse trained by Nick Zito.
Jackson Bend has won his last five consecutive stakes races and is the top money-earner in the field, with winnings totaling $477,820. In his last race, he clinched a 2 ¾ length win over his current rival, Thank U Philippe, at the In Reality Stakes in October 2009. Jackson Bend has been working steadily at Palm Meadows, with his most recent five-furlong workout on January 16th timing above a perfect 12-clip at :59.30. The only question is whether the depth of his prior competition will equal the field set before him in the Holy Bull Stakes this Saturday.
Among his main rivals in the Holy Bull, are Aikenite, a Florida-bred horse trained by Todd Pletcher, and Homeboykris, the winner of the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) on October 10, 2009. Aikenite, a multiple graded-stakes-placed horse, has not raced in nearly three months after his fifth-place finish in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile in November 2009. However, Aikenite remains a significant rival, building his record on Grade One races in his two-year-old season.
Homeboykris, a Maryland-bred racehorse, won two of his four starts in 2009. His most impressive race was undoubtedly the Champagne Stakes (gr. I), where he captured a win and beat Super Saver, who finished fourth in the race. Homeboykris is trained by Juan Rodriguez with Edgar Prado as his current jockey. In his most recent workout, he ran six-furlongs in 1:14:69.
The other horses in the race include Winslow Homer, Piscitelli, Litigation Risk, Thank U Philippe, William’s Kitten and Wild Lime. Piscitelli and William’s Kitten make interesting picks for a long shot. Both horses raced in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile (Gr. I), with Piscitelli finishing fourth – one length from the winner – and William’s Kitten finishing eighth. The drop in grade may improve their chances at placing in this race. The least talked-about horse, Wild Lime, has demonstrated some early potential – winning two of his three lifetime races.
Wild Lime made an impressive debut at Delaware Park in July of 2009, winning his maiden by 3 ½ lengths. More recent, he earned a top speed rating in an Allowance race at Meadowlands in December of 2009. It remains to be answered whether he can stand out among a stronger grade of contenders in the Holy Bull Stakes.
Here are my bets for the Holy Bull:
$2 Win – Jackson Bend
$2 Exacta Box – Jackson Bend and Aikenite
$1 Trifecta Box – Jackson Bend, Aikenite, and Homeboykris
$1 Superfecta Box – Jackson Bend, Aikenite, Homeboykris, and Wild Lime.
