Uncle Mo Colt First Resort Cruises in Ellis Park Debut

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Ellis Park

Three and a half years after Godolphin’s homebred Fair Maiden  scampered home to glory in the La Brea Stakes (G1) for trainer Eoin Harty, her first foal found the winner’s circle for those same connections in his debut July 5 at Ellis Park.

First Resort , a 2-year-old son of Uncle Mo  , could not be caught in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight during Ellis Park’s opening week. Pulling his way to the front under jockey Rafael Bejarano, the bay maintained a narrow advantage through fractions of :22.86 and :46.88 before kicking clear of his rivals with a quarter-mile left to run. Angling toward the inside rail, First Resort coasted to the wire, striding out powerfully in a final time of 1:05.33 on a muddy main track.

Fair Maiden, a stakes winner on both dirt and turf, did her best around one turn. Breaking her maiden by 14 1/4 lengths as a 2-year-old on the synthetic track at Arlington International Racecourse, she captured the 6 1/2-furlong Catch a Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine on the lawn before finishing third there in the one-mile Natalma Stakes (G1T). Resuming racing in the fall of her 3-year-old year, she stuck to sprints, capping her campaign with a late-rallying 20-1 upset in the La Brea on dirt.

Unplaced in two starts at age 4, Fair Maiden was retired to the Godolphin broodmare band. Following First Resort, she had a weanling filly by Into Mischief   and was bred back to that champion sire this past term.

First Resort’s sire, Ashford stallion Uncle Mo, appears to be on track for another prosperous season at stud with his 2024 runners. Among his progeny include recent Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) hero Kingsbarns  and top distaffer and Apple Blossom Stakes (G1) victress Adare Manor . The leading freshman sire in 2015, Uncle Mo has accounted for four 2-year-old winners this year through July 8.