Champion Uncle Mo sires first winner from first starter

Champion Uncle Mo got his first winner with his first starter on April 23 at Keeneland, as Outwork handily scored in a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds and could be headed to stakes company next.

Outwork, the post-time favorite, won by 2 1/4 lengths while stopping the clock in :52.79 seconds for the 4 1/2 furlong sprint. The colt races as a homebred for Mike Repole, is trained by Todd Pletcher, and was ridden by John Velazquez - the same connections as his sire. "We have two [by Uncle Mo in the barn], and this one in particular reminds us a lot of him," Pletcher said. "For a big horse he's got a lot of speed. He's trained really, really well since the first day he came in."

Pletcher said that the Tremont Stakes, on June 5 at Belmont Park, is the next target for Outwork. Uncle Mo won his three starts of 2010 - including the historic Champagne Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – by a combined 23 1/4 lengths en route to a divisional Eclipse Award. The son of Indian Charlie returned to be a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placed the following season after an illness. He is based at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., and has 164 2-year-olds - the most among Kentucky freshman sires - in his first crop.

Outwork is out of the Grade 1-placed Empire Maker mare Nonna Mia, now the dam of two winners from as many starters. Nonna Mia is a half sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Cairo Prince, and to Holdin Bullets, third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint.