Mo Town
The 2020 season turned the spotlight on Uncle Mo’s stallion sons, with Nyquist, Laoban and Outwork all ranking among the top four first-crop sires. All three have now enjoyed Gr.1 success. Mo Town too is proving his credentials, with four Graded stakes winners in his first crop and another in his second.
Designated a TDN Rising Star following his seven-length victory over a mile at Belmont in September, Mo Town then decisively landed the Gr.2 Remsen over a mile and an eighth. The quality of his performances was recognized with an Experimental Free Handicap weight of 118.
Although Mo Town’s juvenile victories were gained on dirt, he developed into a leading turf performer at three, when he won the Gr.1 Hollywood Derby from the future four-time Gr.1 winner Channel Maker.
Even though he did so well on turf, Mo Town has the pedigree of a dirt performer. His dam, the two-time winner Grazie Mille, represents the highly successful Bernardini-Carson City partnership which has produced six black-type winners (26%) from 23 foals, headed by the Gr.1 winners Cavorting and A Z Warrior.
Mo Town’s second dam, Molto Vita, was a tough and fast dirt performer who won a Gr.3 at Keeneland and was twice placed at Gr.1 level. The next dam, Princess Polonia, was a Gr.3-winning daughter of the great Danzig. She too was a dirt performer. This is the female line responsible for breed-shaping sire RAISE A NATIVE.
Mo Town’s sire Uncle Mo has thrived with mares from the MR PROSPECTOR line and Mo Town has quickly shown that he too suits this line. His Gr.3 winner Mo Stash has a dam by SMART STRIKE and his Listed winner Molly’s Town has a dam by SMART STRIKE’s son CURLIN. Uncle Mo has a Gr.3 winner out of a daughter of SMART STRIKE and Uncle Mo’s son Nyquist owes his Gr.1 winner Slow Down Andy to a grand-daughter of SMART STRIKE, by SQUARE EDDIE. Altogether Nyquist has four BTWs from SQUARE EDDIE mares (27%). The GONE WEST branch should also suit, as it provided Uncle Mo with Gr.1 winner Gomo (out of a daughter of ELUSIVE QUALITY) and Graded winners Laoban and Souper Hoity Toity (both out of SPEIGHTSTOWN mares).
UNBRIDLED is the broodmare sire of Gr.1 winner Unbridled Mo, while his sons EMPIRE MAKER, UNBRIDLED’S SONG and UNTUTTABLE all rank among the broodmare sires of Uncle Mo’s Graded winners. The Gr.1 Wood Memorial winner Outwork has an EMPIRE MAKER dam, while the Gr.1 winner A Mo Reay has a dam by EMPIRE MAKER’s son PIONEEROF THE NILE. Altogether, daughters of three sons of FAPPIANO have produced Graded winners to Uncle Mo.
Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is one of six Gr.1 winners with a Mr Prospector line mare as his second dam, the stallions being SEEKING THE GOLD, MUTAKDDIM, AFLEET, CORONADO’S QUEST, KINGMAMBO and CARSON CITY. Uncle Mo’s foals out of AFLEET ALEX mares feature the Gr.1 winner Dream Tree.
Mo Town has already followed Uncle Mo’s example by doing well with the STORM CAT line. His Gr.3 winner Accidental Hero has a grand-daughter of FOREST WILDCAT as his dam, while Gr.2 winner Key of Life is out of a HARLAN’S HOLIDAY mare. Uncle Mo quickly proved himself with the STORM CAT line, siring the top-class Nyquist and the Gr.3 winner Auntie Joy from daughters of FORESTRY as well as Gr.3 winners from daughters of STORM CAT, GIANT’S CAUSEWAY, BLUEGRASS CAT and TALE OF THE CAT. There are also Graded winners out of mares by three sons of GIANT’S CAUSEWAY, namely GIANT GIZMO (Gr.1 winner Adare Manor), SHAMARDAL and ESKENDEREYA. Daughters of INTO MISCHIEF and SCAT DADDY look likely to suit Mo Town.
A.P. INDY will be back in the fourth generation of Mo Town’s foals. A second line to this champion sire is an option, as there is a growing number of Graded stakes winners inbred to A.P. Indy, including the Gr.1 or Gr.2 winners Americanrevolution (4x4), Tapit Trice (3x4), One In Vermillion (3x4), Sweet Loretta (3x4), American Anthem (4x2), Coal Front (3x3), Hoist The Gold (2x4), Major Dude (3x3), Boardroom (2x3) and I Spent It (3x4). Mo Town’s Gr.3 winner Play The Music is inbred 4x3 to A.P. INDY, her dam being a daughter of JUMP START.
Mo Town should do well with mares by all the successful stallions from the A.P. Indy-Mr Prospector cross, such as PULPIT, MINESHAFT, FLATTER and CONGRATS, and daughters of TAPIT are worth considering now that Uncle Mo has sired the Gr.1 winner Kingsbarns from one. Of Uncle Mo’s Gr.1 winners, Yaupon is out of mare by VINDICATION, while his Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal, his 2023 Pacific Classic winner Arabian Knight and his Hollywood Derby winner Mo Town all have dams by sons of A.P. INDY – PULPIT, ASTROLOGY and BERNARDINI respectively. BERNARDINI mares are also responsible for Gr.2 winners Mopotism and Modernist. Uncle Mo also has Gr.2 and Gr.3 winners out of mares by A.P. INDY’s sons MALIBU MOON and MINESHAFT.
Uncle Mo’s son Nyquist owes his four of his Gr.1 winners to grand-daughters of A.P. INDY, by BERNARDINI (2), CONGRATS and MINESHAFT, and he also has the Gr.2 winner Turnerloose out of an A.P. INDY mare. Outwork, another son of Uncle Mo, owes his 2023 2yo Gr.1 winner Brightwork to a MALIBU MOON mare. A third son, Laoban, sired Gr.2 Rebel S. winner Un Ojo from another A.P. INDY mare.
In view of Mo Town’s success on turf, the SADLER’S WELLS line is a likeable option. Daughters of EL PRADO, MEDAGLIA D’ORO and KITTEN’S JOY are candidates. Uncle Mo’s 2024 2yo Gr.2 winner Showcase is his first runner out of a mare by VIOLENCE, a son of MEDAGLIA D’ORO, while GALILEO sired the dam of his 2024 Gr.3 winner West Hollywood.
Uncle Mo has sired Gr.1 or Gr.2 Graded winners from mares by DIXIELAND BAND, by NUREYEV’s son UNUSUAL HEAT and by DANZIG’s son WAR FRONT.
Uncle Mo has black-type winners out of daughters of DEPUTY MINISTER, FRENCH DEPUTY and DEFRERE.
Laoban, another son of Uncle Mo, sired the Gr.1 winner Simply Ravishing from a MORE THAN READY mare.