Mo Forza, a Grade 1 winner and $1-million-plus earner by the very popular sire of sires Uncle Mo, has been retired from racing and will commence his stallion career in 2022 at Rancho San Miguel in Calif., as the property of Taylor Made Stallions and Onofrio Pecoraro.
The 5-year-old horse will make history on two important fronts: as Kentucky-based industry leader Taylor Made Farm's first foray into California's breeding industry and as the first son of Uncle Mo—North America's 2010 champion 2-year-old colt and the sire of the Grade 1-siring stallions Nyquist and Laoban—to stand on the West Coast.
Mo Forza's introductory fee is $9,000, live foal stand and nurse guarantee. A syndication is being formed, with a limited number of shares available.
Campaigned by Bardy Farm and Pecoraro's San Diego-based OG Boss stable, Mo Forza won eight of 15 starts and earned $1,034,460 as one of North America's top turf milers over the past three seasons. His seven graded stakes victories include the 2019 Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and the 2020-2021 editions of the G2 Del Mar Mile at Del Mar, as well as four Grade 2 races at Santa Anita Park: the 2020-2021 City of Hope Mile Stakes, 2019 Qatar Twilight Derby and 2019 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes.
He is the first foal out of the Unusual Heat mare Inflamed, a full sister to Grade 2 winner and 2011 California Champion 3-Year-Old Male Burns and to Grade 1-placed multiple winner Brushburn.
“Mo Forza was born and raised at Taylor Made, and we have loved him from the very beginning” said Taylor Made Stallions Vice President Ben Taylor. “He is a big, strong, good-looking horse who ran four triple-digit Beyers and showed tremendous heart in winning seven graded races on the grass. As brilliantly as he trained on dirt, we have no doubt that he would have accomplished just as much on that surface if he had been given the opportunity.
“We are looking forward to participating in the lucrative California-bred program with this outstanding stallion prospect,” Taylor added. “We believe Mo Forza is the right horse at the right time for us to launch our entry into the California breeding industry.”
Pecoraro will remain as a co-owner in Mo Forza and will support him with several high-quality mares.
“We have been looking for a son of Uncle Mo to offer to California breeders, and Mo Forza was number one on our list,” said Rancho San Miguel owner/manager Tom Clark. “In addition to winning seven graded races here in California, he is out of a daughter of our state's all-time leading sire, Unusual Heat. He is also a direct male descendant of another multiple leading California sire, In Excess (Ire), through his Grade 1-winning, California-bred grandsire, the great Indian Charlie. He is a perfect fit here.”
“Mo Forza's name translates roughly from Italian to 'more strength,' and that is precisely what I believe he offers to California's breeding and racing program,” Clark said. “We are thrilled to partner with Taylor Made and Mr. Pecoraro on this exciting new venture.”
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