A Mo Reay Kicks Off Season with Graded Stakes Victory

A Mo Reay (4f Uncle Mo x Margaret Reay, by Pioneerof the Nile) ended last season with her first career victory and on Saturday, she started her 4-year-old season with her first graded stakes win in the Grade III Bayakoa Stakes.

Making her first start of the year at Oaklawn, the filly took a few strides to get into gear in the 1 1/16 mile race as she raced along the rail in the back of the field. Florent Geroux let her coast until they hit the far turn and from there, the talented runner started picking off rivals.

By the time they hit the stretch, A Mo Reay was just a length behind the leader and was determined to get in front. It took her nearly the whole stretch to get there but once she was in command, it was easy to build her margin to half a length by the wire.

Trained by Brad Cox for Hunter Valley Farm, the victory takes A Mo Reay’s earnings to nearly $400,000 with the Uncle Mo daughter finishing in the top three in eight of 11 starts.

A $400,000 purchase both times she went through the ring, the T & G Farm of Kentucky-bred is out of the Grade III-placed Margaret Reay, a half-sister to stakes winner Lezendary. Their winning dam isn’t the only stakes producers under her stakes placed dam with a half-sister producing Grade I winner Wonder Lady Anne L and another producing stakes winner Anticipate.

Top sire Uncle Mo has been on fire in 2023 with five stakes winners and six stakes performers to his name, led by two graded stakes winners. Only Into Mischief has more with over 60 more runners on the year than Uncle Mo.