At the Belmont Stakes post draw yesterday, Uncle Mo owner Mike Repole gave an update on the progress of the 2-year-old champ who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of a mysterious internal ailment that was finally diagnosed last week as cholangiohepatitis, an inflammation of the liver.
“Mo is doing great [at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, where he was turned out last month],” Repole said. “He’s put on 83 pounds, and is gaining weight every day.”
With 100 pounds of weight gain the target, Repole said Uncle Mo could begin light training in about two weeks, then start galloping two weeks later. If all goes well, he could hopefully return to the races at Saratoga.
Repole warned, “The condition he has has the possibility of being chronic [in which case Mo would be retired]. But it’s not life-threatening, which is great. That was my primary concern.”
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Repole is running the long shot Stay Thirsty (12th in the Derby) in the Belmont, and he noted, “You wouldn’t want to be the favorite, the way this year is going. Shackleford pays $27 in the Preakness, Animal Kingdom pays $43 in the Derby.
“So I’ll take my 20-1 odds and feel like I’m the favorite. Stay Thirsty obviously likes New York, he’s got two wins and two seconds, so I think he’s got a home-track advantage.”
Repole, a die-hard New Yorker, said, “Everyone wants to win the Kentucky Derby, and I’ll take that trophy if I’m ever lucky enough to win it. But no doubt [the Belmont] is the race that brings a tear to my eye. This is the race I want to win.”