Uncle Mo's Exploits Stand Out Among 2015 Freshman Sires

Monday, December 28, 2015

Bernies Blog

With Dec. 31 falling on a Thursday, there isn't going to be much disruption on any "leading" lists for the next four days, and the leader with the most impressive stats for 2015 has to be Uncle Mo. The 2010 2-year-old champ put an exclamation point on a banner season when Rally Cry won the eighth race at Gulfstream Park on Saturday for owner Paul Pompa Jr. and trainer Todd Pletcher.

Javier Castellano rode the colt, who became winner No. 28 from Uncle Mo's first crop, three more than runner-up Twirling Candy. Mo's runners earned $3,670,229 to Twirling Candy's $1,161,974. It was a romp from day one. Aside from his 28 winners, Mo had seven stakes-winners and 11 stakes horses, with three graded stakes-winners.

Third on the national list is Double Diamond Farm's First Dude, who enjoyed a banner season of his own. Chased by Big Drama and Gone Astray for the Florida title all season, Dude has more than $996,000 in the till, so he could break the coveted million-dollar mark by season's end.

Gulfstream's exceptional meeting continued after Christmas, with the Saturday handle reaching $11,671,158. Sunday's reached $7,690,321 for a major weekend at the windows of more than $19.3 million.

Florida's second-crop sire title was walkaway for Ocala Stud's Kantharos. On Sunday, his Mitos y Leyendes won Gulfstream's sixth race by 8 1/4 lengths under Luis Saez and collected a purse of $21,000, racing six furlongs in 1:10.67. The son of Lion Heart stands at $1,770,374 as the New Year approaches, and there's nobody within five miles of him.

Florida's leading third-crop sire is also from Ocala Stud. In Summation passed Get Away Farm's Two Step Salsa in mid-season and continued on to nail down the title. He currently has $1,984,833 in earnings to $1,671,921 for Two Step.

The late Wildcat Heir won another leading Florida sire title with comparative ease, helped toward the $7 million mark by Jewel of a Cat's score in the Windley Key Stakes at Gulfstream Sunday. He won by a neck under Paco Lopez and pushed his sire's earnings to $6,945,685. Wildcat Heir has 143 winners this year, with 74 repeat winners, five stakes-winners and 10 stakes wins. His money total more than doubled that of With Distinction ($3,088,55).

FIRST WINNER FOR TELLING - Kisskiss Telltell gave Prestige Stallions Telling his first winner to celebrate the holidays. The stallion became the 15th Florida freshman sire to get a winner. Kisskiss Telltell won a $32,000 claimer at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday by 2 1/2 lengths, getting a mile on the grass in 1:39.38 under Daniel Centeno. Emil Hagger is the breeder.