The tendon injury that Uncle Don suffered in late 2007 would have ended the careers of most horses. For Uncle Don, it resulted in a layoff of more than two years, a barn change and a career that has been successfully revived.
Now trained by Richard Rosales, Uncle Don will try for his third consecutive win in Saturday's $70,000 Grey Memo Stakes, the day's second race.
At Santa Anita last month, Uncle Don won won a maiden claimer by 6 1-2 lengths on March 7 and a starter allowance by 3 1-2 lengths on March 31. In both races, he led throughout over six furlongs.
"He's just been steadily improving," Rosales said earlier this week. "He's gradually worked himself into top condition and I think he's there now. I think he's reaching his potential now. He was always a classy animal and had a lot of ability. Now, it seems everything has come together."
In the Grey Memo Stakes, Uncle Don is the 5-2 favorite in a field of nine, which includes Danzing Tribal, a maiden winner on March 27, and Scofield Barracks, who was fourth in an allowance race for state-breds on turf on March 28.
The Grey Memo Stakes, which is restricted to California-bres who are non-winners of "one other than" will be Uncle Don's first start over seven furlongs. The 5-year-old gelding is by Lemon Drop Kid out of Soviet Problem, the 1994 California-bred Horse of the Year.
"He's got the pedigree on him that says he should get seven-eighths," Rosales said. "If he does anything like his parents did, he should be tough in there."
