Uncle Sigh Retires From Racing, Arrives at ReRun

Uncle Sigh, who ran in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), has been retired from racing and is settling into ReRun, a Thoroughbred retraining and adoption center in East Greenbush, N.Y.

ReRun's program director, Lisa Molloy, announced his arrival on Twitter Jan. 4.

On Sunday, Molloy said Uncle Sigh was eating well and enjoyed talking to his new stall neighbor, stakes winner Harlan's Harmony.

"We'll turn him out probably for the next couple of months," Molloy said. "It's cold, the ground's hard. He'll just get used to getting turned out, probably find him a buddy, and then we'll start riding him, see where he goes from there."

Uncle Sigh was first trained by Gary Contessa, who conditioned the gelding through the summer of his 4-year-old year for George "Chip" McEwen's Wounded Warrior Stables and Anthony Robertson. Uncle Sigh broke his maiden second time out as a 2-year-old against fellow New York-breds, drawing off by 14 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct Racetrack. He earned his way into the Kentucky Derby with runner-up finishes in the Withers Stakes (G3) and Gotham Stakes (G3) at 3.

Uncle Sigh finished 14th in the Run for the Roses, won by California Chrome .

"He was a lot of fun, he was a very kind horse to train, and he is very, very deserving of being retired," Contessa said. "I love it."

Uncle Sigh was named for Si Robertson, known as Uncle Si on the TV show "Duck Dynasty." Contessa recalled the Kentucky Derby walkover with Uncle Sigh and seeing a seating section at Churchill Downs filled with long-bearded men who looked like Uncle Si.

"They were all screaming at the top of their lungs for that horse," Contessa said. "It was really a lot of fun."

The barn also played off Uncle Si's love of iced tea during the Derby run.

"They had a line of iced tea at the time—Uncle Si's Iced Tea—and they had that guy from "Duck Dynasty" with the beard on the bottle," Contessa said. "When we ran him in the Derby, we put an Uncle Si's Iced Tea blanket on him and blinkers. All the grooms and the hotwalkers wore Uncle Si's Iced Tea shirts and hats. It was fun. We had a good time with it. We got to meet those guys and hang out with them."

Uncle Sigh was sold at 4 after McEwen became ill, and the gelding was moved to Bill Mott's barn. The son of Indian Charlie—Cradlesong, by Pine Bluff, proved to be a popular claim in New York. He was claimed seven times and raced for seven trainers. His last race was Sept. 19 at Belmont Park for trainer Chris Englehart and owner Ronald Brown. He also placed in the 2018 Commentator Stakes at Belmont when stabled with Englehart the first of two times.

Uncle Sigh had $648,686 in earnings from a 7-12-3 record in 42 starts.

"Everybody that claimed that horse did very well with him," Contessa said. "He's just been a very kind horse to train. He took me to the Derby."

Molloy said Uncle Sigh is taking in his new surroundings well at ReRun.

"This morning I put him out in the round pen in the arena," she said. "He kind of mooched around, dropped and rolled, then just kind of stood there like, 'Yeah, I've done that. I'm ready to come back in.' He didn't seem to be tremendously overwhelmed or anything."

Molloy said she has thought about pointing Uncle Sigh to the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover or The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Championships.

"I thought that would be fun and that people would like to see how he does," Molloy said. "He's in tremendous condition as well. He looks absolutely fantastic."

"I've seen him on the track for the last three or four years. I've seen him with all his different trainers," Contessa said. "I'd comment when he went by and whatnot. He's always been a very kind horse to ride and a very kind horse to train, so I think he'll be a great off-track Thoroughbred. I think he'll be a great show horse or whatever they decide to do with him. I think he'll be very good."