Uncle Mo wins Belmont's Champagne
October 10, 2010NEW YORK (AP) - Uncle Mo, the 1-5 favorite, rolled to a 43/4-length win over Mountain Town in the $300,000 Champagne Stakes for 2-year-olds at Belmont Park.
Unbeaten in two starts, Uncle Mo has emerged as a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile next month at Churchill Downs. John Velazquez was aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher as Uncle Mo led all the way. The time was 1:34.51 for the one mile.
"The sky's the limit," Pletcher said. "I don't see how a horse could start a career more impressively than he has. His times have been exceptionally fast; he gets stronger as he goes along. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile would be the obvious goal."
Uncle Mo paid $2.40, $2.10 and $2.10. Mountain Town returned $4.70 and $3.70. I'm Steppin' It Up paid $5.20 to show.
Earlier on the card, A Z Warrior beat R Heat Lightning by 13/4 lengths in the $300,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies.