One-time 2011 Kentucky Derby favorite Uncle Mo, undefeated as a two-year-old before an unimpressive finish at the Wood Memorial Stakes left him both in doubt as the top horse at the Derby and compared more frequently than ever to Secretariat, was scratched from the Derby field on Friday, leaving remaining favorite Dialed In as the only horse to rise above a very close pack of contestants.
↵Since the Wood Memorial Stakes Uncle Mo has been suffering from a gastrointestinal inflammation that has left his appetite—well, no longer horse-like. The illness continues to puzzle veterinarians, but it's enough to keep him from running in the Derby despite that confusion.
↵Uncle Mo was at 9-2 just before wagering opened on Friday, behind only Dialed In, who figures to get most of the Derby attention on Saturday with his primary rival gone. (Yesterday, horse-racing gadfly Bob Baffert suggested that Uncle Mo's owner "trying to build a price for himself" with rumors about the stomach trouble, suggesting the horse looked fantastic. If that's actually what's happened he must be waiting for the Preakness...)
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