Uncle Mo's Illness Diagnosed

After seven weeks of extensive testing, it has been determined that 2010 champion 2-year-old male Uncle Mo has a case of cholangiohepatitis, which, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, is a “severe inflammation of the bile passages and adjacent liver, which sporadically causes hepatic failure in horses and ruminants.”

According to a statement released June 3 by owner Mike Repole, the determination of what led to the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) to be withdrawn from the race came following a biopsy of the liver and lymph nodes. After being scratched from the Derby two days before the race, Uncle Mo was sent to WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky., where he underwent extensive testing by some of the top equine internists in the country.

“Uncle Mo has been diagnosed with cholangiohepatitis,” the veterinary team of internists Dr. Bill Bernard, Dr. Doug Byars, and Dr. Tom Divers said in the statement. “The cause of how he contracted cholangiohepatitis is unknown.