Uncle Mo's Booty Call

Uncle Mo, the likely champion 2-year-old male and our early Kentucky Derby (gr. I) favorite, has taken up residence in Todd Pletcher's barn at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach, Fla. The son of Indian Charlie has been there since Dec. 8 where he has settled in nicely and recently returned to light training after getting some farm time in Ocala.

Uncle Mo's owner, Mike Repole, said on Monday that his star 3-year-old will likely have his first breeze back in three weeks and will have two preps before the Derby. The last one will be in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) on April 9 at Aqueduct. It seems likely that the first one could be in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) on March 12, though that will be determined by how he trains.

Repole was at Palm Meadows to see Mo on Monday and snapped a few photos that he was kind enough to share with us. As you can see by the first one, Mo's favorite snack is not apples, carrots, or peppermints, but smart puffs. And not just any smart puffs. It has to be Pirate's Booty brand.

Repole, who back in 2007 sold Vitaminwater for $4.1 billion, now owns Pirate Brands, a healthy snack food company. Repole said Mo gets all the smart puffs he wants these days (they are all natural, of course), provided he keeps winning. If he loses, it's back to vegetables like all of the other horses.

Repole wanted me to make sure fans had all access to the Derby favorite, so I'm providing links to his Facebook and Twitter pages. Be sure to check back often to find out all the important details of Mo's daily schedule, including his snacking habits and birthday plans.