Juvenile Double For Uncle Mo At Tampa Bay Downs
It was another good weekend for Uncle Mo on Saturday when two juvenile winners showcased the sire’s versatility at Tampa Bay Downs with runaway victories on dirt and turf.
Bye Bye Melvin (2c Uncle Mo x Karlovy Vary, by Dyanformer) flew down the stretch to break his maiden followed one race later by an Uncle Mo exacta led by the debutante Mo City (2f Uncle Mo x City Sister, by Carson City).
Running for owner-breeder Alex G. Campbell, Jr over 1 1/16 miles on turf, Bye Bye Melvin was quick into stride and set the early pace before conceding the lead by a head in the backstretch. The colt regained his lead late in the far turn and he kicked it into another gear in the stretch to pull away under a hand ride by 8 1/4 lengths.
Trained by Graham Motion, Bye Bye Melvin is the third winner from three to race out of Grade I Ashland winner Karlovy Vary. The Dynaformer mare is a full sister to Grade III-placed Rocket Legs and out of a half-sister to Grade II winner Great Intentions, hailing from the family of Champion War Pass.
Half an hour later, Mo City impressed on her debut when leading home a 1-2 finish for her sire.
Mo City was placed just behind the leaders by jockey Pablo Morales in the six furlong dirt race. Around the turn, Morales swung his filly to the outside of the field and she bounded to the lead. It was another impressive display for an Uncle Mo runner with Mo City pulling away to win by 5 1/4 lengths over Good News (2f Uncle Mo x Engaged, by Malibu Moon) who flew home from the back of the field to finish second for the second time in her career.
Trained by Michael Stidham for Stallionaire Enterprises, Mo City was bred by Tada Nobutaka and is out of Grade II-placed City Sister. City Sister is also the dam of Grade II winner Dixie City, Listed winner Win The War, Listed placed Union City and the granddam of Grade II winner Unified, Listed winner and Grade I placed Blue Chipper, and Listed winner and Grade III placed Hasafet.
City Sister has an Uncle Mo weanling filly and was bred back to Air Force Blue.
Top young sire Uncle Mo has sired 24 juvenile winners in 2019, including dual Grade I winner Bast among his three 2-year-old stakes horses.