Uncle Mo versus five in Timely Writer Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Hallandale Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Breeders' Cup Juvenile champ Uncle Mo will take on five rivals Saturday as he makes his three-year-old debut in the $100,000 Timely Writer Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The mile race will be the colt's first start in four months.

Owned by Mike Repole, Uncle Mo has drawn the inside post in the six horse field and again will be ridden by John Velazquez. The current Kentucky Derby favorite is trained by Todd Pletcher.

"The Gulfstream Park surface is very similar to the surface that Mo's training on every day at Palm Meadows," Pletcher said earlier. "There's also the advantage of a 20-minute van ride to Gulfstream as opposed to a four-hour ride to Tampa Bay. Mo's been training exceptionally well since his return and I am very confident and comfortable with either the Timely Writer or the Tampa Bay Derby."

Earlier this year Repole and Pletcher were considering running the colt in Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby at 1 1/16-miles. Uncle Mo will carry highweight of 123 pounds in the Timely Writer.

As a two-year-old Uncle Mo won all three starts, including the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. He was voted the Eclipse Award winner as 2010 champion two-year-old colt. He has career earnings of nearly $1.3 million

Here is the complete field for the Timely Writer in post position order: Uncle Mo, John Velazquez; Gallant Dreams, Javier Castellano; Madman Diaries, Jeffrey Sanchez; Rocking Out, Julien Leparoux; Schoolyard Cat, Ryan Curatolo and Rattlesnake Bridge, Jose Lezcano.