Uncle Mo begins Kentucky Derby preparations

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo, the early favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby, arrived at the Palm Meadows training facility in Boynton Beach, Fla., shortly after noon on Wednesday to begin preparations for his 3-year-old campaign.

Uncle Mo, who is certain to be named the Eclipse Award champion as top 2-year-old of 2010 when those honors are handed out in Miami next month, had spent the past month at Jimmy Crupi’s New Castle Farm in Ocala, Fla. Crupi picked out Uncle Mo for owner Mike Repole and had him for nine months prior to sending him to trainer Todd Pletcher last summer.

“He arrived in good, came in in great shape, and looks fantastic,” said Pletcher who was at Palm Meadows when Uncle Mo got off the van. “He might have gained a few pounds while he was in Ocala, but basically he looks like he’d never left and just the way you’d want him to look.”

Pletcher said Uncle Mo would go into light training at Palm Meadows beginning on Friday.