Bye Bye Melvin Earns First Stakes Victory in Saranac

Bye Bye Melvin (3c Uncle Mo x Karlovy Vary, by Dynaformer) kicked off a memorable day for his sire as the first half of a Saratoga stakes double in the Grade III Saranac Stakes on Saturday.

Tackling a mile on the turf for owner and breeder Alex Campbell, Jr., Bye Bye Melvin raced along the hedge just behind the leader. Dropping a few lengths back, Bye Bye Melvin had to make up the ground he’d lost as they raced down the stretch, but the colt dug in gamely once given clear running room

With John Velazquez aboard, Bye Bye Melvin made a late move to close the margin on the longtime leader and got his head in front just in time to win by a head.

Trained by Graham Motion, Bye Bye Melvin was the second stakes performer at Saratoga in a week for his dam with his Scat Daddy half-sister, Mean Mary, finishing a close second in the Grade I Diana S. last Sunday.

That pair is out of the Grade I winner Karlovy Vary, whose three foals of racing age are all winners.

Bye Bye Melvin’s family is familiar with stakes level success with Champion 2-Year-Old War Path and Saratoga Grade I winner Oath, in addition to Grade I-winning Jack Milton all on his page.

Already the leading sire of graded stakes winners in 2020, Uncle Mo has sired eight stakes winners in August with two of those winners coming on Saturday.