Be Better Newest Stakes Winner for Uncle Mo
Be Better (4c Uncle Mo x Social Call, by Smart Strike) continued to live up to his name on Saturday when the Repole Stable homebred won the Deputed Testamony Stakes for his first career stakes victory.
The colt settled into the back spot just a few lengths off the leader in the 1 1/8 mile dirt race as he stayed on the rail from his inside post position. That all changed just inside the quarter mile when Sheldon Russell swung him wide so he had a clear path outside the field.
That move paid off with Be Better sweeping past the field to win by 1 ¼ lengths over Munnings’ Nimitz Class for a third straight victory.
Trained by Brittany Russell, Be Better has won five of his 12 starts with three other top three finishes for nearly $250,000 in earnings.
“We’ve had this race on our radar for some time, since he won the three-other-than. We had some some options to run in New York and Delaware, but we opted to just point to this race and give him some time and it seemed to work out,” Russell said. “When you see the overnight come out and you see the horses in the race, it was a tough spot. But, as good as he’s been doing and stepping forward I felt like he was up to the task.”
He is one of two winners out of a half-sister to the Grade II winner Old Time Hockey. Under his third dam is Ashford’s late champion sire Scat Daddy and the Grade III winner and Grade I placed Antipathy.
Social Call also foaled an Uncle Mo filly last year.
This is the 11th stakes winner of the year for Uncle Mo, putting him third among all North American stallions with his 20 stakes performers in 2023 fifth best.