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Mo Donegal Gives Pletcher Seventh Wood Memorial

Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) returned to the scene of his previous career best score to stamp his ticket to the Run for the Roses with a late-rallying score over Early Voting (Gun Runner) in the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Saturday. It was the seventh Wood Memorial victory for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, tying Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons record. His previous winners were Eskendereya (2010), Gemologist (2012), Verrazano (2013), Outwork (2016), Vino Rosso (2018) and Bourbonic (2021). Verrazano went on to win the GI Haskell Invitational and Vino Rosso took the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, but the last Wood Memorial placer to take home the roses was 2003 victor Funny Cide.

Mo Donegal was off a breath slow, but not nearly as slow as race favorite Morello (Classic Empire), who typically runs near the front, but was relegated to last early with Mo Donegal just ahead of him on the fence. It was Early Voting in control and he clocked an opening quarter in :23.86 with 49-1 shot A. P.'s Secret (Cupid) tracking from second. The Klaravich colorbearer put up a half-mile in :47.75 as Mo Donegal continued to bide his time near the back.

Picking it up on the backstretch to be fifth as three-quarters went in 1:11.59, the 2-1 second-choice cut the corner to be a joint second at the top of the stretch with the pacesetter well within reach. Early Voting found more in the lane and tried to go on with it, putting some distance between himself and Mo Donegal. However, the GII Remsen S. winner was just finding his best stride under Joel Rosario and tugged his way past Early Voting in the final strides to win by a neck. Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) completed the trifecta) and favored GIII Gotham S. winner Morello could only manage sixth after his poor start. Gaining 100 points for the victory, Mo Donegal moves into fourth on the GI Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 112 points total.

“I thought he ran a great race,” said Pletcher, who won the GI Central Bank Ashland S. Friday with Nest (Curlin). “It didn't really unfold the way we thought it would. When Steve [Asmussen]'s horse [Morello], didn't get away well, I was worried the fractions were a little soft, but he was able to overcome that and come with a big run. I think he got his last quarter-mile in :23.69, which is pretty impressive. He was resolute. He kept coming and I was thrilled to see him get there.”

As for the Kentucky Derby, Pletcher said, “You need a good trip in the Derby and with his running style, he's going to have to work his way through some traffic. But I think he's got some good experience and he showed today he can overcome a bit of a trip and zigzag when he needs to. Most importantly, it looks like he has the stamina to see out the trip.”

“It was a perfect trip,” said Rosario. “He kept digging in at the end and kept coming. It was a good race. I tried to save ground and it looked like the track was good inside, so I tried to stay there for as long as I could. He was handling everything well.”

“I thought he was on wings,” said Jerry Crawford of owner Donegal Racing. “I think the performance he gave today was even better than it looked to the naked eye. I've been here all day [Friday] and [Saturday] and not one horse has closed on the dirt in two days and he came from far back. So, he had to be not just the best today, he had to be much-the-best to prevail.”

As for runner-up Early Voting, trainer Chad Brown said, “He ran a great race. He was second-best today. He got a great ride and the winner ran a really good race as well. I was very proud of the horse.”

He continued, “I have to digest this and look at what happens everywhere today [before deciding on the Derby]. Also, first and foremost look at the horse and put everything together to see if he'd have a reasonable chance to win the race. Based on his limited experience and such, I'm not sure, but let's see. He has the points, so probably. I don't want to make a decision until I evaluate everything.”

Third when unveiled in a 6 1/2-panel event at Belmont Sept. 30, Mo Donegal showed his appreciation for more real estate with a late-running graduation going 1 1/16 miles at that oval Oct. 21. Getting his nose down ahead of Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart) in the track-and-trip GII Remsen S. Dec. 4, he made a late run for third behind last week's GI Curlin Florida Derby victor White Abarrio (Race Day) on a track that is not kind to closers in Gulfstream's GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 5. He was scratched from the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. last month with a fever and re-routed to this event.

Pedigree Notes:

Mo Donegal is one of 43 graded winners for Uncle Mo and his second Wood Memorial winner following the Pletcher-trained Outwork form the Coolmore stallion's first crop. He was also the second graded winner for Uncle Mo Saturday, who was represented by GII Shakertown S. winner Golden Pal at Keeneland. His dam Callingmissbrown (Pulpit) is a daughter of GI Acorn S. victress Island Sand (Tabasco Cat). Mo Donegal is her second foal and her only produce since is a juvenile filly named Prank (Into Mischief), who brought $500,000 Alex Solis & Jason Litt at KEESEP. Callingmissbrown was barren when bred to Catholic Boy for 2021 and is expecting a foal by Curlin.

Saturday, Aqueduct
WOOD MEMORIAL S. PRESENTED BY RESORTS WORLD CASINO-GII, $750,000, Aqueduct, 4-9, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:47.96, ft.
1–MO DONEGAL, 123, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit
                2nd Dam: Island Sand, by Tabasco Cat
                3rd Dam: Sue's Last Dance, by Forty Niner
($250,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Donegal Racing; B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Joel Rosario. $400,000. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-2, $621,800. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Early Voting, 123, c, 3, Gun Runner–Amour d'Ete, by Tiznow. ($200,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $140,000.
3–Skippylongstocking, 123, c, 3, Exaggerator–Twinkling, by War Chant. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($15,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $37,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Daniel Alonso; B-Brushy Hill, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $75,000.
Margins: NK, 3HF, 1HF. Odds: 2.15, 2.40, 17.40.
Also Ran: A. P.'s Secret, Barese, Morello, Long Term, Golden Code.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Pair of Unbeatens Clash with Remsen Winner in Wood Memorial

The New York road to the GI Kentucky Derby concludes with Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S., featuring the winners of Aqueduct's GII Remsen S., GIII Withers S. and GIII Gotham S., respectively.

Morello (Classic Empire) brings a perfect three-for-three record to the table for Steve Asmussen following sharp, press-and-pounce victories in the Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6 and one-turn mile Gotham Mar. 5. He is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for this first test around two turns.

“We're excited. The horse is doing well, he's super sharp and we think we have what it takes to get the job done,” said Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, who owns Morello in partnership with Craig Taylor and Diamond T Racing. “Distance isn't a question mark for me. I think with the way he runs and his patience and class, it shows that he can do it.”

Early Voting (Gun Runner), drawn two inside of Morello in post three, will be on the engine beneath Jose Ortiz. The Klaravich Stables runner sped off to an impressive win in the mud over track and trip at just second asking in a live renewal of the Withers Feb. 5. The Withers field also included subsequent GII Rebel S. winner Un Ojo (Laoban) (second) and GII Tampa Bay Derby second Grantham (Declaration of War) (fourth).

“He went first time around two turns and he passed the test well,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He definitely gained experience and he appears to be training well. He prefers to be forwardly placed, so hopefully he'll be there again.”

The rail-drawn Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), a narrow winner over Zandon (Upstart) in a roughly run edition of the Remsen Dec. 4, ran on late to be a useful third as the favorite in his comebacker in the GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Feb. 5. The winner that day White Abarrio (Race Day) backed up that effort with a win in last weekend's GI Curlin Florida Derby. Mo Donegal was forced to miss the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 with a temperature.

“I guess it was a blessing to get it out of the way then as opposed to now,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He's trained well since then. In particular, I thought his final breeze for this was very good.”

Pletcher continued, “The Wood fits well in the calendar for us and we've been pointing Mo Donegal there for a while seeing as he won the Remsen there. It makes sense to bring him back on a surface we knew he likes.”

Pletcher, also represented by Gotham third Golden Code (Honor Code) and four-start maiden Long Term (Curlin), has saddled six of the last 11 Wood Memorial winners. A victory would put Pletcher on even terms with the late fellow Hall of Fame trainer “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, the all-time leading trainer in the Wood with seven wins.

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FOY Contenders Breeze in South Florida

The South Florida worktab was dotted with several horses tuning up Saturday morning for a possible start in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park Mar. 5.

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm LLC's 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) will be in search of a third win in as many starts in the Fountain of Youth and tuned up for the 8 1/2-furlong test with a bullet half-mile in :48.05 (1/32) Saturday morning at trainer Todd Pletcher's base at Palm Beach Downs.

He worked great, I was very pleased with it,” said the conditioner, who also breezed GII Remsen S. hero Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo, 4f, :49.37) and GII Iroquois S. hero Major General (Constitution, 5f, 1:02.29). Both are under consideration for the Fountain of Youth.

“I don't know for sure. I have to talk to Jerry Crawford about Mo Donegal tomorrow,” Pletcher said. “I talked to [WinStar's] Elliott [Walden] a little bit this morning. One of my concerns is that it looks like it's going to be a big field. You might enter and draw a bad post. We might take a look at entering both Mo Donegal and Major General. All things being equal, Major General will probably go to the [Mar. 12 GII] Tampa Bay Derby.”

Rattle N Roll (Connect), winner of last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, prepped for his seasonal debut in the Fountain of Youth by drilling five-eighths of a mile in :58.67 Saturday morning over the Gulfstream Park main track.

“It went really well. The horse worked super,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “He worked fantastic and came out of it good. We're going to do a little gate work Wednesday, and he's all set.”

Howling Time (Not This Time), unraced since his fifth-place effort to Smile Happy (Runhappy) in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. in late November, went five furlongs in :58.54, while his Dale Romans stablemate Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) covered a similar distance in :59.04.

Simplification (Not This Time), an excellent second in the GIII Holy Bull S., went five furlongs in 1:02.66 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Antonio Sano.

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Pletcher Plans: Mo Donegal Could Target Wood Memorial, Emmanuel To Fountain Of Youth

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, and offered up plans for some of the top Kentucky Derby hopefuls in his barn to the Thoroughbred Daily News this week.

Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), winner of the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct and last-out third in Gulfstream's G3 Holy Bull, could head back to New York for his final Derby prep. How Mo Donegal trains over the next few weeks will determine whether the colt runs again prior to the G2 Wood Memorial on April 9. The Donegal Racing/Jerry Crawford-owned colt has won two of his four starts thus far, and was acquired as a $250,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale.

“The Wood Memorial is the 100-point race that we've got him targeted for since he won the Remsen at Aqueduct,” Pletcher told TDN. “I actually thought he ran a sneaky good race the other day [in the Holy Bull]. He was making up some ground late. It's just that everything kind of unfolded the wrong way for him and it took him a while to get out in the clear and able to make his run. It was the kind of effort we were hoping for, even though it wasn't the result we were wanting.”

Emmanuel (More Than Ready) has won a maiden race at Gulfstream and a first-level allowance at Tampa Bay Downs for owners WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, and could next be pointed to the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream on March 5. Pletcher has penciled in the colt, a $350,000 yearling at Keeneland September, as progressing through the G1 Florida Derby en route to Louisville.

Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) required three starts to break his maiden, but won a first-level allowance at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 22 to set him up for a run in the G2 Risen Star on Feb. 19. The homebred Sumaya U.S. Stable colt is out of stakes-winner Lights of Medina.

Major General (Constitution) hasn't started since winning the G3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs, but could reappear in the Mar. 12 G2 Tampa Bay Derby. Owned by WinStar and Siena Farm, the undefeated colt was a $420,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September.