Trainer Todd Pletcher called an audible early Tuesday morning and sent Kentucky Derby contender Uncle Mo to the track for his workout as soon as the Churchill Downs track opened for training at 5:45 a.m.
The work had been scheduled for 8:30 a.m., after the mid-morning track renovation break and in the 15-minute time slot reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses.
“Looking at it this morning, walking out on the track, it wasn’t raining and I’m looking at the radar and all this stuff coming up here,” Pletcher said, showing the weather radar on his phone. “If we catch some of that here, it’ll be absolutely pouring at 8:30. I figured even if the track is the same, I’d rather not go out during a downpour. I thought, ‘if it’s good right now, let’s go.’”
Uncle Mo worked in company with 4-year-old stablemate Calibrachoa, winner of Aqueduct’s Tom Fool Stakes in his last start. Churchill Downs clockers clocked Uncle Mo working five furlongs in 1:01 4/5, after splits of 13 1/5 seconds, 25 2/5 and 37 2/5, galloping out six furlongs in 1:15 3/5 as he pulled away from Calibrachoa. The track was “sealed,” or packed down to prevent water from penetrating.
Pletcher clocked the work as 101.60, with splits of 13 flat, 25.35, 37.70 and out in 1:15.23.
Velazquez said the Indian Charlie colt felt like the old Uncle Mo, “at least from the way he worked today, yes.”
The work had been scheduled for 8:30 a.m., after the mid-morning track renovation break and in the 15-minute time slot reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses.
“Looking at it this morning, walking out on the track, it wasn’t raining and I’m looking at the radar and all this stuff coming up here,” Pletcher said, showing the weather radar on his phone. “If we catch some of that here, it’ll be absolutely pouring at 8:30. I figured even if the track is the same, I’d rather not go out during a downpour. I thought, ‘if it’s good right now, let’s go.’”
Pletcher clocked the work as 101.60, with splits of 13 flat, 25.35, 37.70 and out in 1:15.23.
Velazquez said the Indian Charlie colt felt like the old Uncle Mo, “at least from the way he worked today, yes.”
