USA: Kentucky Derby favourite Uncle Mo, back in training in Florida, is set to make his seasonal debut next month at Gulfstream Park rather than Tampa Bay.
The brilliant Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, unbeaten in three starts last term, was being pointed towards the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12 but connections revealed on Tuesday that a $100,000 stakes race at Gulfstream the same day is now the favoured option.
The Timely Writer is a one-turn mile race open to all three-year-olds. "The Gulfstream Park surface is very similar to the surface that Mo's training on every day at Palm Meadows," said trainer Todd Pletcher.
"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."
