Uncle Mo’s Family Way Captures Ladies Marathon
In a week that saw Uncle Mo siring multiple stakes winners, Family Way (4f Uncle Mo x Susie’s Baby, by Giant’s Causeway) added to the total with a win in the Listed Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon Stakes.
Family Way was one of the first out of the gate in the 1 5/16 mile turf race and settled on the rail just behind the leader. That position changed as they started racing into the turn and Tyler Gaffalione moved her to the outside.
That was exactly what the filly needed to move closer and she entered the stretch in a four-way line for the lead. As they entered the final furlong, Family Way had the lead but had to dig in deep to keep it. The filly was challenged by two others but used a final burst of energy to start pulling away to win by a neck for her first stakes victory.
After selling for $775,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling, Family Way started her career in France where she registered two victories. Sold again at the end of last year, she was purchased by Fergus Galvin and sent to Brendan Walsh. In that time, the filly has registered two wins, a second, and a third for owners Hunter Valley Farm, Debra O’Connor, and Marc Detampel.
“It’s great to win this with her because she belongs to a bunch of friends of mine, who bought her last year in France,” said Walsh. "She has a great pedigree. The pedigree actually goes back to a filly called Mekko Hokte, who Eddie Kenneally trained when I worked for Eddie. It’s the family of Caravaggio. It’s a serious pedigree. It’s huge to win something like this with her.
Family Way is one of two winners from two to race out of the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Susie’s Baby. That mare is a half-sister to Uncle Mo’s studmate Caravaggio and to Grade II winner My Jen. They are out of stakes winner Mekko Hokte, who has produced six winners from seven to race.
Susie’s Baby is also the dam of a winning American Pharoah 3-year-old filly named Baby Blythe, a yearling Justify filly, and a weanling full sister to Family Way.
Family Way is the third stakes winner in five days for Uncle Mo alongside Burning Ambition and Hendy Woods with the victories coming at three different tracks. The filly is the 73rd stakes winner overall for Uncle Mo, whose 117 stakes performers include nine Grade I winners and 26 Grade I-placed horses.