SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011 For information about TDN, call 732-747-8060. JUVENILE CHAMP OUT OF DERBY PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES There had been a swirl of rumors all week regarding When she first got off the van, I called her >Plum the status of last year=s juvenile champion Uncle Mo Ugly,=@ trainer Bob Baffert admitted as he headed to the (Indian Charlie), and on winner=s circle Friday morning, trainer after the Todd Pletcher and GI Kentucky Oaks owner Mike Repole at Churchill confirmed what many Downs yesterday. had already guessed: ABut now she=s the talented colt, beautiful.@ unbeaten at two and Peachtree Stable=s Todd Pletcher & Mike Repole pegged as the second Plum Pretty Horsephotos choice in the morning (Medaglia d=Oro) line for the 137th gave Baffert his GI Kentucky Derby, would not participate in the race. second Oaks During a somber press conference held Friday winner; his first Plum Pretty (right) holds off St. John’s River morning at Churchill=s auxiliary press box, Pletcher and was EquiSport Repole met with reporters to say Uncle Mo continues to Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy) in 1999. A 6-1 chance, show the ill effects from what initially was said to be a the bay tracked Summer Soiree (War Front) through gastro-intestinal infection. A battery of recent tests, fractions of :23.65, :46.99 and 1:11.25. She drove to however, proved inconclusive, and with the vets still the lead when they straightened into the lane and scratching their heads, they said that it wasn=t in the looked home free, but jockey Rosie Napravnik wheeled best interest of the horse to compete in the 16-1 St. John=s River (Include) off the rail inside the 1 1/4-mile Classic. eighth pole and the longshot came flying. It was close, AWe're dealing with an internal issue, and we're not but the wire came just in time for Plum Pretty to hold quite sure what it is,@ Pletcher said. AHe definitely had a on by a neck. AEverybody talks about how long the GI tract infection, but what we're trying to figure out if stretch here is at Churchill Downs,@ Napravnik said after that was the primary issue, a secondary issue, or the the race. AI wish it was just a nose longer today.@ function of something else." Cont. p4-5 Uncle Mo has had a number of specialists attending to him since suffering his first career defeat in the GI Wood Memorial Apr. 9, and on Thursday, no fewer that three top vets--Dr. Ken Reed, Dr. Doug Byars and Dr. Steve Allday--examined him. AWe have one specific enzyme that is elevated and they cannot identify why," said Pletcher. "Without getting too scientific, when this particular enzyme is elevated, there is something else in the blood work that would point to a liver or a kidneyYor something else. But in this case, it has everyone baffled. The only thing I can tell you now is that nobody knows what it is.@ Repole said his decision to scratch actually came late Thursday morning, after the vets had examined Uncle Mo, but before they weighed in on the results. AAfter they left, Todd said >I don=t want to run this horse,=@ explained Repole. AThe vets didn=t say the horse couldn=t run; in fact, they said he could. But, when Todd said he didn=t want to run, that was pretty much it for me. I know he treats these horses better than he treats his own health, and if he didn=t want it, then that was that. It was an easy decision. I trust this man more than anybody.@ Cont. p2 www.coolmore.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 5/7/11 • PAGE 2 of 21 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Uncle Mo cont. Mike Repole said he waited to announce the decision out of respect for the vets, explaining that he wanted to hear their diagnosis before notifying the press. Pletcher said there are no immediate plans for Uncle Mo, but said he could be sent to a local clinic for further testing, and all but ruled out starts in the GI Preakness S. two weeks from now and GI Belmont S. three weeks after that. He mentioned mid-summer races like the GII Jim Dandy S. and GI Travers S. at Saratoga, but stressed that, until they found out what was wrong with the horse, they weren=t even thinking about where he might turn up next. Repole, who flew in some 100 friends and family for the Derby, still has another runner in the race in GIII Gotham S. winner Stay Thirsty (Bernardini). In one of the lighter moments of the press conference, Repole removed his Uncle Mo ballcap and replaced it with a Stay Thirsty hat. It's the second straight year that Pletcher has lost a Derby runner in the days leading up to the race. In 2010, the heavily favored Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway) was declared six days out with what would ultimately be a career-ending soft-tissue injury. Jockey John Velazquez had the call on both Eskendereya and Uncle Mo. Asked if Velazquez, Pletcher's go-to rider, could possibly be named on Stay Thirsty, Pletcher said no, and confirmed Ramon Dominguez will retain the mount. "We made a commitment to Ramon," said 859-873-7270 • www.airdriestud.com Pletcher. Later, Team Valor announced that Velazquez would replace the injured Robby Albarado on Animal Uncle Mo was a near-unanimous choice for an Eclipse Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). Award as champion juvenile male. He made his Pletcher himself was visibly downcast--even more so 3-year-old debut in the Timely Writer S. at Gulfstream than a year ago--and said he looked at the scratch as a Mar. 12 and won easily, but lost his unbeaten record 'personal failure.' when a flat third as the 1-9 choice in the Wood AI am very, very, very, very disappointed about this,@ Memorial. Subsequent X-rays and exams came back Pletcher said. AI don=t think I=ve ever had a horse as negative, but shortly after the race it was revealed that good as Uncle Mo. We=ve had every resource to try to he was suffering from a gastro-intestinal issue. He was get this horse right, but we=re not there. I take this as a treated and reportedly regained his appetite and, in personal failure. We just don=t know what=s wrong with recent weeks, pleased connections with his progress. this horse, and it scares me. I feel very sorry for Mike. I But Pletcher said that once he was taken off feel very sorry for Johnny Velazquez. This is the third medication, his health declined once again. year in a row he=s lost the Derby favorite.@ AThe biggest thing I see is depressed appetite and Velazquez was also the regular rider of Quality Road loss of weight, and his coat=s not right," Pletcher (Elusive Quality), forced off the 2009 Derby trail with explained. "When he was in the Breeders= Cup last foot ailments. year, he looked phenomenal--his coat, dapples, rich If body language was anything to go by, the writing color, good appetite, good weight, good muscle tone. was on the wall several hours before yesterday=s Unfortunately, he doesn=t have those things, but we announcement was made. Pletcher sent Uncle Mo to can=t find why." the track around 6:15 a.m., and he watched quietly as Because there is no also-eligible list for the Derby, the colt jogged an easy mile. Repole was not present, horses who were on the bubble in terms of graded and Pletcher walked with his head down back to the earnings--including Ruler On Ice (Roman Ruler) and barn as media types began to gather in expectation of Sway Away (Afleet Alex)--will still not be able to run. an announcement. Churchill's John Asher finally There were rumblings in the camp of the latter after announced at 8:15 a.m. that a press conference had Uncle Mo was entered Wednesday, thus ensuring the been called on Churchill's front side, and Repole was exclusion of Sway Away, but Pletcher was not apol- joined there by a 15- or 20-strong entourage, many of ogetic during the press conference. "I think Uncle Mo whom wore Uncle Mo T-shirts or Repole Stable deserved every last minute for us to make the dec- sweatshirts. ision," he said. Derby field, p3; more coverage, p11-14 P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 5/7/11 • PAGE 3 of 21 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Saturday, Churchill Downs, post time: 6:24 p.m. EDT 137th KENTUCKY DERBY-GI, $2,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/4m PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY ML 1 Archarcharch K Robert & Loval Yagos Grapestock LLC-KY Fires 10-1 (c, Arch--Woodman’s Dancer, by Woodman) Court 2 Brilliant Speed Live Oak Plantation Live Oak Stud-FL Albertrani 30-1 (c, Dynaformer--Speed Succeeds, by Gone West) Rosario 3 Twice the Appeal K E J Brown Jr/V Flores/H Hernandez John T L Jones III-KY Bonde 20-1 (c, Successful Appeal--Double Boarded, by Cormorant) Borel 4 Stay Thirsty K Repole Stable John D Gunther & John Darren Gunther-KY Pletcher 20-1 (c, Bernardini--Marozia, by Storm Bird) Dominguez 5 Decisive Moment Just For Fun Stables Just For Fun Stables-FL Arias 30-1 (c, With Distinction--Lady Samira, by Dehere) Clark 6 Comma to the Top G Barber/R Birnbaum/K Tsujihara Richard & Linda Thompson-FL Miller 30-1 (g, Bwana Charlie--Maggies Storm, by Stormy Atlantic) Valenzuela 7 Pants On Fire George & Lori Hall K & G Stables-KY Breen 20-1 (c, Jump Start--Cabo de Noche, by Cape Town) Napravnik 8 Dialed In Robert V LaPenta W S Farish/M Pickens/Skara Glen Stables-KY Zito 4-1 (c, Mineshaft--Miss Doolittle, by Storm Cat) Leparoux 9 Derby Kitten Kenneth L & Sarah K Ramsey Kenneth L & Sarah K Ramsey-KY Maker 30-1 (c, Kitten’s Joy--Blush, by Menifee) Castellano 10 Twinspired K Alpha Stables/Skychai Racing LLC John Jain/Lawrence Opas/Frank Sinatra-KY Maker 30-1 (c, Harlan’s Holiday--Historical Drive, by El Prado {Ire}) Smith 11 Master of Hounds Mrs John Magnier Silk and Scarlet Syndicate-KY O’Brien 30-1 (c, Kingmambo--Silk and Scarlet {GB}, by Sadler’s Wells) Gomez 12 Santiva Tom R