Uncle Mo’s Mo Donegal Wins G2 Remsen

Donegal Racing’s Mo Donegal (2c Uncle Mo x Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) visited the winner’s circle for the second straight time on Saturday with a determined victory in the Grade II Remsen Stakes to earn 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Racing comfortably on the inside just behind the leaders for much of the 1 1/8 mile race under Irad Ortiz Jr., Mo Donegal found himself in tight around the turn as he searched for room. Once he was clear of any horses on his outside, Ortiz piloted the colt off the rail and swung him widest of all.

The race was on from there with Mo Donegal battling Zandon all the way down the stretch with neither colt willing to give in. The victory came down to a nose bob at the line with Mo Donegal winning by a nose and the third place runner 9 3/4 lengths behind.

"I thought he ran great,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He was getting a good, ground-saving trip and put himself in a good spot. He kind of had to angle out a little bit and lost some ground there but it looked like when he got there he is still trying to figure out how to polish it off.”

Purchased by Donegal Racing for $250,000 as a yearling from co-breeder Ashview Farm, Mo Donegal now has two straight victories in three starts. Pletcher said that the colt will now head to Florida for the winter.

Ashview Farm co-bred the colt with Colts Neck Stables out of two-time winner Callingmissbrown. The winner of two winners from two named foals, that mare is out of the Grade I winning Island Sand. Island Sand was also a stakes producer with her foals including Grade I-placed Maya Malibu and stakes-placed Midnite Poppa.

Uncle Mo is the sire of 41 graded stakes winners, 76 stakes winners, and 132 stakes horses overall. The stallion has sired 10 juvenile graded stakes winners and 47 juvenile stakes performers from his first seven crops.