Owner Repole wins Travers Stakes, but just misses with Uncle Mo

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – His face covered with perspiration, a conflicted Mike Repole tried to express his emotions after losing one big race by a nose with Uncle Mo and winning the $1 million Travers Stakes with Stay Thirsty about 30 minutes later at Saratoga Race Course.

“It’s a roller-coaster game, it’s a bipolar game,” the owner of both 3-year-old colts said Saturday. “What we just saw in the last half-hour for (trainer) Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole, the low, the highest high, all within 30 minutes. It’s a tough loss with Uncle Mo and probably the best win of my life here with the Travers.”

Uncle Mo gave it all he had in the $250,000 King’s Bishop, his first race since recovering from a life-threatening liver disease that sidelined the one-time Kentucky Derby favorite through the Triple Crown races. Uncle Mo, the champion 2-year-old in 2010, stormed into the lead in the stretch but was beaten by a nose by Caleb’s Posse in a photo finish.

“Listen, I want to win. I think the horse ran great … he just came up short,” Repole said.

Stay Thirsty came up huge in the 11/4-mile Travers on a hot day at the Spa.

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the field of 10, Stay Thirsty raced just off the pace set by Preakness winner Shackleford. But when the field turned for home in front of a crowd of 43,050, he surged to the lead under Javier Castellano and held off Rattlesnake Bridge by 11/2 lengths.

The win moves Stay Thirsty to the head of the 3-year-old class, ahead of sidelined Derby winner Animal Kingdom and the two other classic winners he beat in the Travers – Shackleford and Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice, who was fourth. Haskell winner Coil, the second choice, finished 10th.