Kentucky Derby Betting: Sway Away Also Loses In Uncle Mo Withdrawal

Added on May 06, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

Horse Racing

Today’s big news in advance of the Kentucky Derby is the withdrawal of one time betting favorite Uncle Mo. Mo’s connections weren’t the only ones disappointed in the news–it was an especially bitter pill for the connections of the #21 horse on the graded stakes earning lists, Sway Away. Had Uncle Mo been scratched earlier, Sway Away would be in the Kentucky Derby field on Saturday. As it stands, the race will be run with 19 horses instead of the maximum 20 and Sway Away remains on the outside looking in.

Another horse–Ruler on Ice–was left out of an oversubscribed Derby field when entries were finalized on Wednesday. Sway Away is the real loser, however, since he would have been in the field without Mo in the mix. He’s also done in by the entry rules of the Kentucky Derby–there’s been a suggestion to add an ‘also eligible’ list for just this type of situation. Under this format if a horse in the field is a late scratch an entrant from the ‘also eligible’ pool takes his place. This would have allowed Sway Away into the field after Uncle Mo’s withdrawal and would allow Ruler on Ice to race in the event another contestant can’t make the start.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sympathized with the disappointment of Sway Away’s connections but characterized the situation as part of the sport:

“I think Uncle Mo deserved every second.”

Sway Away trainer Jeff Blonde said that he didn’t have any issue with Uncle Mo’s withdrawal though he felt bad for the ownership syndicate. He was less understanding about the eligibility rules for the Kentucky Derby saying that he was a ‘victim of policy’

Uncle Mo was scratched today after a dramatic up and down ride during the prep season. He’d been the horse to beat for much of the year before a disappointing finish in the Wood Memorial led to the discovery that he was suffering from a gastrointestinal illness. He has recovered somewhat but is not back to 100% and on the advice of a team of veterinary experts he was withdrawn from the race by trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole.