Uncle Mo Gets First Black-Type Winner Via DQ in Sanford
Updated: July 25, 2015 at 8:28 pm
It came with the help of the stewards, but Uncle Vinny gave his freshman sire (by Indian Charlie)–who kicked off his champion juvenile season at the Spa five years ago–his first stakes victory at stud while providing trainer Todd Pletcher with his sixth Sanford win.
Magna Light, winner of a sloppy, rained-off affair downstate June 28, was quarter-horsed from the gate to seize early command as Uncle Vinny was scrubbed on to maintain a middle-of-the-pack position while three deep. Magna Light still had a small cushion after clicking off a :45.98 half and turning for home, but longshot Percolator was in hot pursuit and Uncle Vinny was also revving up down the center. Still, Magna Light appeared to be well on his way to victory when he veered sharply away from several Jose Ortiz left handers. Percolator tapped on the brakes ever so slightly, but Magna Light righted the ship to cross the wire first and Uncle Vinny rallied to get up for second. The inquiry and objection signs soon flashed, and eventually Magna Light was dropped to third position, setting off a heated discussion on social media.
“My horse was much the best,” Jose Ortiz said after being taken down. “I hit him left-handed and he ducked out a little bit, but I was clear. Everybody could see that I was clear.”
Magna Light’s trainer Rudy Rodriguez added, “I thought they were going to look at it, but not take it down. He’s a good horse, unfortunately we got taken down. We have to get over it, but it’s a shame. You come to Saratoga to bring the horses the best way you can.”
A 4 1/2-length winner at 15 cents on the dollar at Belmont May 21, Uncle Vinny had been off since finishing a disappointing sixth with some trouble behind race favorite Cocked at Loaded (Colonel John) in Big Sandy’s June 5 Tremont S.
“I really, really do feel bad for Rudy Rodriguez, [Magna Light’s co-owner] Michael Dubb and all his connections because they really did run a winning race,” offered Starlight’s Don Lucarelli. “It’s unfortunate to have to win them this way. We ran huge, too, but [Magna Light], today, was a better horse. Bottom line is, we get to cash a ticket. It is what it is.”
He added, “[Trainer] Todd [Pletcher] said that [jockey] Johnny [Velazquez] said it took him a while to get him going, which really I do like hearing that because that means hopefully that he wants to get more distance and needs to be relaxed. As we add distance, hopefully he’ll be able to accomplish more ground in the future.”
Velazquez said, “We were getting to the point where he was rolling from the eighth pole to the wire, and he inherited the win. Nothing I can say. He definitely was coming running. [Magna Light] ran a great race, too.”
Starlight and Pletcher also inherited the win via DQ with Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid) in Gulfstream’s GII Fountain of Youth S. in February.
Saturday, Saratoga Race Course
SANFORD S.-GIII, $150,000, SAR, 7-25, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.92, ft.
1–#@UNCLE VINNY, 120, c, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Arealhotlover (SW, $146,567), by Untuttable
2nd Dam: Hot Rod Helen, by Regal Search
3rd Dam: Terrible Terri T., by Greek Answer
($175,000 Ylg ’14 KEESEP). O-Starlight Racing; B-Gilbert G.
Campbell (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $90,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $141,500. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Percolator, 120, c, 2, Flashy Bull–Lady Rushmoore, by Wild Rush.
($37,000 Ylg ’14 FTKOCT; $100,000 2yo ’15 OBSAPR). O-Main Line
Racing Stable & John C. Servis; B-Charles H. Deters (KY); T-John C.
Servis. $30,000.
3–Magna Light*, 120, c, 2, Magna Graduate–Kimberlite, by Mineshaft.
($5,000 Wlg ’13 KEENOV; $10,000 Ylg ’14 OBSAUG; $110,000 2yo ’15 OBSAPR).
O-M. Dubb, M. Imperio, E. Alexander & Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Elisabeth
Alexander (KY); T-Rudy R. Rodriguez. $15,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 4.00, 19.20, 13.00.
Also Ran: Awesome Slew, He’s Comin in Hot, Cocked and Loaded, Sunny Ridge,
Twirling Cinnamon, Save the Drama, John Q. Public. Scratched: Paynes Prairie.
*DQ’d from first to third.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.