Derby Favourite Uncle Mo “Ahead of Schedule” According to Todd Pletcher

The big news out of Palm Meadows training centre at Hallandale Beach is all centered around current Kentucky Derby favourite Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) and the impressive form he showed in this mornings workout. The Pletcher-trained bay colt worked a quality half-mile in 49.60 seconds in a performance described as “textbook” by the high-percentage trainer.

Uncle Mo has been very selectively worked since his dominant performance in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile back in November. Unraced since that day, connections have indicated that the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby is the likely destination for the Derby contender.

Speaking to the Daily Racing Form, Pletcher was obviously very impressed with the quality fractions displayed by his leading three year-old charge declaring, “he went out in 25, came home in 24 and 2, and galloped out well.” Last year’s Derby-winning conditioner was bullish on Uncle Mo’s prospects “before this work, I might have felt like I was on a tight schedule. Now, I feel like we’re ahead of schedule.”

Uncle Mo is scheduled for another half-mile session this Sunday and one might expect Pletcher to instruct his workout rider to give Uncle Mo a little bit of a push to see what he’s got in him. Pletcher’s barn is loaded down in Florida and he looks set to bring another talented cadre of colts to the big dance in May.