Uncle Mo Stars at Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream
Uncle Mo’s legacy as both a top sire and a sire-of-sires grew at Wednesday’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale when 2-year-olds by the stallions and his sons were four of the top five highest price horses and six of the top 15.
Uncle Mo himself saw his most expensive 2-year-old bring $1.3 million as the third highest price of the sale. Signed for by West Bloodstock on behalf of the Coolmore partners, the Wavertree Stables offering is a full brother to Uncle Mo’s Grade I winner Dream Tree. A :10.0 breezer, the colt is out of the winning Afleet Alex mare Afleet Magie, who is also the dam of stakes-placed O’Maggi and the winning Uncle Mo filly Trial and Error.
Bred by Mike and Pat Freeny, he was purchased for $335,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the Keeneland September Sale by Knights Bloodstock. The colt will be heading to the barn of Todd Pletcher to begin his racing career.
“He's a special little horse,” Wavertree’s Ciaran Dunne told Thoroughbred Daily News. “He was a beautiful yearling. I couldn't believe they let us buy him [as a yearling].”
Uncle Mo also had the most expensive filly of the sale when West again signed for an $825,000 Uncle Mo, this time on behalf of Robert And Lawana Low.
Consigned by Sequel Bloodstock as agent, the Michelle d’Oro daughter was another :10.0 breezer for her sire. A half-sister to stakes winner Pico d’Oro, she is a granddaughter of dual Grade I winner Champagne d’Oro. Champagne d’Oro herself was a half-sister to Grade I Belmont Derby winner Ruler On Ice with Italian champion Jurado and dual Grade I winner Grand Canyon among the stakes winners on the page.
Out of a Bernardini mare, the filly is bred on a golden cross that has produced Uncle Mo’s Grade I winning son and studmate Mo Town and two Grade II winners among four stakes performers from 20 runners. The filly was a $380,000 purchase at last year’s Fasig-Tipton showcase by Autrey Bloodstock.
“She's an Uncle Mo filly and he can do no wrong,” West told Thoroughbred Daily News. “She's out of a Bernardini mare who is absolutely killing it as a broodmare sire. I thought she had the best breeze of any filly down here. We love to buy them when you can see them get across the dirt and gallop out on the dirt. She vetted good and we got stuck in behind her and wanted to buy her.”
Just like Uncle Mo’s $1.3 million colt, the filly will be headed to Uncle Mo’s trainer Todd Pletcher.
“We are very fortunate to get them,” Pletcher told Thoroughbred Daily News. “They are typical of the Uncle Mos. He stamps his babies and I thought both of these have that look that he puts into so many of them. They are very good movers, good walkers, athletic and with good breezes. So we're excited.
Uncle Mo’s three to go through the ring all sold and averaged $745,000 with a median of $825,000.
The sire of 70 stakes winners, led by eight Grade I winners, Uncle Mo saw 22 of his runners win stakes races. Among those were 14 graded stakes winners with 38 stakes performers overall.