Pricey Uncle Mo Colt Could be Ward's Next Golden Pal

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners in particular who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners. 

Gulfstream Park 

A handsome bay son of Uncle Mo   drew visions of Golden Pal   when he whisked home a convincing debut winner Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. While the Wesley Ward-trained Go On Mo  has a long way to go towards matching the brilliance of Golden Pal, he created a splash Thursday afternoon with his 2 ½-length score in a five-furlong maiden special weight sprint on the grass.

Golden Pal, arguably one of the greatest turf sprinters seen on North American shores in the last decade, was also sired by the great Uncle Mo and trained by Ward. The similarities don’t stop there—the two-time Breeders’ Cup winner was also campaigned by Coolmore, who partnered with Jonathan Poulin, Peter Brant, Joseph Allen, and Gandharvi to secure Go On Mo for $575,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton's Gulfstream Sale of Select 2-Year-Olds in Training. Go On Mo flashed precocity during the under-tack show, drilling the fastest eighth of a mile ever recorded in the sale’s seven-year history in a sizzling :9 ⅗.

Although Go On Mo appears to be a turfy type, with elongated high knee action, his pedigree is remarkably versatile. Bred in Kentucky by Baroche Stud the colt is the second foal out of the Elusive Quality mare Brusquer , a half sister to the prolific stallion Tapit  , a sire capable of producing equally proficient performers on both dirt and turf. Brusquer was lightly raced, breaking her maiden second time out over the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs for trainer Graham Motion. Her black-type inundated female family traces back to the top-class Rubiano, the 1992 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter.

Ward told TVG prior to Go On Mo’s race that he had given the colt plenty of time off after the Gulfstream sale last March to grow into his blossoming frame.

“I haven’t instilled a lot of speed in him because it’s naturally there,” Ward said. “The only detriment today is he’s going to be a little green. He’s only had about five or six works in his life since I got him… We only started breezing him back in December and here we are in January and we’re going to run. But he’s mentally and physically a beautiful horse.”

Go On Mo did indeed show greenness at the start, leaping straight into the air when the gates opened and bumping into the horse to his outside soon after. Under staunch handling from jockey Jose Ortiz, the colt quickly recovered and in a matter of strides was battling alongside the pacesetter through a :21.93 first quarter. Given the green light around the turn, Go On Mo put away his stubborn rival and drew off handily to win in a sharp final time of :55.69 over the firm turf.

Turfway Park 

Carding lofty maiden special weight purses this past season, Turfway Park in northern Kentucky has continued to lure in well-bred maidens throughout the winter. This past weekend was no exception, as two of the track's winners, Event Detail  and Quadra Island , landed on this week’s Maiden Watch list.

OXO Equine’s Event Detail, a physically-imposing son of second crop sire City of Light  , stole the show on Friday’s card, waltzing under the wire the easiest of winners in a one-mile maiden special weight contest. Trained by Paulo Lobo, Event Detail had begun his career with a sixth-place finish over the dirt in November at Churchill Downs. Stretching out to a mile and switching surfaces, the bay showed significant improvement second time out, rallying from the back of the pack to a runner-up finish, beaten 1 3/4-lengths Jan. 1.

Back at it less than a month later, with two breezes sandwiched in between for good measure, Event Detail would not be denied this time, cruising to the lead around the far turn and coasting to the wire 2 ¾-lengths in front under Gerardo Corrales. He earned a notable 99 Equibase Speed Figure for his effort.

Purchased by Larry Best of OXO Equine for $600,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale, Event Detail clocked the mile in 1:37.86. Bred in Kentucky by Camas Park Stud, he is the first foal from the winning Into Mischief   mare Breaking Beauty , a daughter of German graded stakes winner Que Belle and a half sister to two graded stakes winners.

Quadra Island, third behind Event Detail and the victorious Eye Witness  Jan. 1, rolled home a rail-skimming winner of a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Saturday night at Turfway. Favored in the field of 11, he raced in mid-pack before sneaking up the fence to post a 1-length victory in a final time of 1:46.18.

Running for the silks of Dotson Stables and trained by Brad Cox, the Kitten's Joy—Sky Walk , by Unbridled's Song colt is a half brother to Stunning Sky, captress of the 2020 Valley View Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. The May-born colt was bred by J. Stephen McDonald in Kentucky.