Royal Slipper New TDN Rising Star for Uncle Mo
It was a huge debut performance for Royal Slipper (2f Uncle Mo x Laffina, by Arch) at Keeneland on Friday with the filly earning Thoroughbred Daily News Rising Star honors when breaking her maiden.
Shooting out of the gate quickly in the six-furlong dirt race, the Wesley Ward filly didn’t give the others a chance to blink before she started to pull away. Having over two lengths on the rest of the field for nearly the whole race, by the time she came into the stretch she was nearly four lengths ahead.
John Velazquez kept her focused throughout the final stages to have a 4 ¾-length advantage at the wire with the third placed runner nine lengths behind.
A homebred for Michael Tabor, Royal Slipper is a full sister to three-time Grade I winner Bast. That mare sold for $4.2 million in 2020 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Their dam Laffina is a half-sister to Grade II winner and Grade I-placed Mananan Mclir and two other stakes winners and five stakes performers overall.
Laffina is just one prolific producer out of the multiple stakes placed St. Lucinda. Her other daughters have produced Grade I winner Fault and Grade II winner Fioretti with a granddaughter producing Grade I winner Juju’s Map.
Laffina had an Uncle Mo colt last year and another full brother to Bast and Royal Slipper this year. She returned to Uncle Mo in 2023.
This is the 15th TDN Rising Star for Uncle Mo, who has sired 11 juvenile winners in 2023 with five stakes performers in the group.