[Roxxyfish]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In an announcement that came as little surprise, Uncle Mo, the second choice on the morning line for Saturday’s 137th Kentucky Derby, was scratched Friday morning from the race due to a problem with the horse's internal system that, according to trainer Todd Pletcher, has three veterinarians baffled, but one that would prevent the horse from being where he needs to be to run in the race.
"He’s got one specific enzyme that’s elevated that has everyone baffled; they can’t identify why," Pletcher said at an 8:45 a.m. press conference in the auxiliary press box at Churchill Downs. "Generally, without getting too scientific, when this particular enzyme is elevated there is also something in the bloodwork that would lead them to the direction toward a liver or a kidney [issue], but this specific case it’s one single enzyme that’s elevated that doesn’t really lead you anywhere else."

Since being diagnosed with a gastrointestinal tract infection following his third-place finish in the Wood Memorial on April 9, Uncle Mo has been on a variety of medications. As the Derby grew closer, Pletcher had to take Uncle Mo off of those medications, and when he did, Pletcher said, "we saw a little deterioration the last couple of days."
"The biggest thing I see is depressed appetite loss of weight and his haircoat’s not right," Pletcher said. "When he was in the Breeders’ Cup last year he looked phenomenal; immense haircoat, dapples, rich color, good appetite, good weight, good muscle tone, anything you look for. . . . Unfortunately, he doesn’t have those things but we can’t find why."
Uncle Mo was the 2-year-old champion of 2010 based on his 3-for-3 record, including authoritative victories in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.
Though Pletcher said there are no specific race plans for Uncle Mo, he indicated that the horse probably would not race again until mid-summer. While Uncle Mo did gallop strongly Friday morning at Churchill Downs, Pletcher did not rule out taking the horse out of training for a period of time.
"The primary focus at this point is to try and diagnose what’s going on," Pletcher said.
Though the announcement wasn’t made until Friday morning, Repole said he made the decision Thursday morning after Pletcher told him he didn’t want to run the horse. That came after Repole and Pletcher conferred with three veterinarians - Dr. Ken Reed, Dr. Doug Byars and Dr. Steve Allday - who couldn’t come up with a firm diagnosis. Repole said out of respect to the three veterinarians who examined Uncle Mo, he wanted to wait until they performed further tests to announce the scratch.
"The decision was an easy decision because Todd Pletcher said he was not running," Repole said.
This was the second year in a row that Pletcher had to scratch a major contender from the Derby. Last year, it was Eskendereya, who was found to have a leg injury a week before the race. This one may have hurt Pletcher more, since he won last year’s Derby with Super Saver.
"It's very, very, very, very, very disappointing," Pletcher said. "I said last year, honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse as good as Uncle Mo. To not make it here is a big letdown. I take it as a personal failure, I feel extremely bad for Mike. He’s given us every resource possible to try and get this thing corrected. We ran out of time.
"It’s very, very frustrating, but what we’re really concerned about is the horse’s health. We got something going on inside. I don’t know what it is, the best vets in the world don’t know what it is. Sometimes you can deal with issues when you know what they are, you know what’s okay and what’s not okay. But when you don’t know, that’s when you get scared."
Repole and Pletcher will still be represented in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby with Stay Thirsty, who won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in March at Aqueduct, but who is coming off a bad race in the Florida Derby.
The decision to scratch Uncle Mo was difficult for Repole because he firmly believes he has the best 3-year-old in the country. Uncle Mo was certainly the best 2-year-old last year, winning a maiden race by 14 1/4 lengths at Saratoga in August, the Champagne by 4 3/4 lengths in a time that equaled Seattle Slew's for the second-fastest one-mile Champagne ever run, and a tour-de-force 4 1/4-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here at Churchill.
"Does it hurt that he’s not here?" Repole said. "Yes, because Uncle Mo, in my opinion he’s five to seven lengths better than any horse in this race."
Said Pletcher: "I told Mike this decision is really, really going to stink on May 7, but let’s hope the rest of the year when they run the Jim Dandy, Travers and Breeders’ Cup Classic and those type of races it’s going to be real good."
John Velazquez was scheduled to ride Uncle Mo, making this the third straight year that he has lost a top contender for the Derby less than a week out from the race. In 2009, he had Quality Road, who suffered a foot injury, and last year he had Eskendereya. While Velazquez did pick up mounts in those Derbies, he will not ride here Saturday. Repole and Pletcher confirmed that Ramon Dominguez would remain on Stay Thirsty.
Uncle Mo had drawn post 18 for the Derby. The two horses outside of him, Nehro and Watch Me Go, will move down one slot each to 18 and 19, respectively.

[legendmatt34]

That makes Dialed in the winner!