Mo Donegal (foaled April 19, 2019) is a retired
American Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racehorse that won the
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...
horse race.
The horse is owned by Donegal Racing and
Repole Stable
Mike Repole (born January 21, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, businessman, and owner of Repole Stables, best known for co-founding Glaceau (maker of Vitaminwater), which sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion, and BODYARMOR SuperDrink, a spor ...
.
Background
Mo Donegal is named for his sire the champion horse
Uncle Mo
Uncle Mo (foaled March 10, 2008, in Kentucky) is an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse who went undefeated in his two-year-old season and was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old of 2010. However, his three-year-old season was disrupte ...
and the horse's co-owner Donegal racing.
Mo Donegal is a bay colt bred by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Farm and consigned to the
Keeneland
Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...
sale by Ashview Farm. Mo Donegal is the second of three foals by Callingmissbrown and her lone stakes winner to date. She also has a 2-year-old
Into Mischief
Into Mischief (foaled March 28, 2005) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. During his racing career, he won three of six starts including the CashCall Futurity. Since his retirement, he has developed into an outstanding s ...
filly named Prank, who sold for $500,000 by agent Frank Brothers, from Ashview's consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Jerry Crawford, CEO of Donegal Racing bought Mo Donegal for $250,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and he was named later.
Prior to the running of the
2022 Kentucky Derby Mike Repole spent to buy a 25% share of Mo Donegal.
Racing career
2021: two-year-old season
Mo Donegal began his racing career on 30 September in a
Maiden
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
Special Weight event over furlongs at
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905.
It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...
. Starting at odds of over 9/1 in a field of seven Mo Donegal broke slowly, was urged by jockey
Javier Castellano
Javier Castellano (born October 23, 1977, in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.
Castellano began his riding career in 1996 at Santa Rita and La Rinconada racecourses in Venezuela. In June 1997 ...
along while dropping well off the pace. He was steadied briefly with the mile to run, and was guided from the rail to the two path before the five-sixteenths, was driven four wide into upper stretch. drifted out some in the final furlong and finished with late energy to secure the third place beaten by first time starter Varatti by
lengths
Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...
.
[
Returning to Belmont Park on 21 October to run over a longer distance of miles, Mo Donegal once again broke a step slow, settling off the early pace. He came under urging late from jockey ]Irad Ortiz Jr
Irad Ortiz Jr. (born August 11, 1992) is a Puerto Rican jockey who has been a leading rider in the New York Thoroughbred horse racing circuit since 2012. He won his first Breeders' Cup race on Lady Eli in 2014, and his first American Classic on ...
on the backstretch and the moved from three to five wide on the turn, chasing leader Fromanothamutha. Mo Donegal passed the leader outside near the sixteenth-pole and broke his maiden under strong urging by lengths
Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...
in a time of 1:44.50.[
In his last start of the year trainer Todd Pletcher entered Mo Donegal in the premier long distance event for two-years-old in the US, the Grade II ]Remsen Stakes
The Remsen Stakes is an American Grade II race for Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The one and one-eighths mile race is open to two-year-olds and currently offers a purse of ...
at Aqueduct Racetrack. The event turned into a dog-fight between favorite Zandon and Mo Donegal who was the second pick that needed stewards intervention to dismiss a lodged protest by jockey John Velazquez of Zandon. Mo Donegal dueled down the stretch with Zandon, finishing a nose in front, but only after the two horses and their riders competed in tight quarters late. Mo Donegal drifted inward from the center of the track under right-handed urging from winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr
Irad Ortiz Jr. (born August 11, 1992) is a Puerto Rican jockey who has been a leading rider in the New York Thoroughbred horse racing circuit since 2012. He won his first Breeders' Cup race on Lady Eli in 2014, and his first American Classic on ...
, who nearing the wire, threw crosses with his left rein. He appeared to make contact with Zandon or that one's rider, John Velazquez
John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both ye ...
. The two horses also bumped just before the wire. They finished lengths clear of third-place finisher Midnight Chrome miles on a fast track in 1:53.61. Owners Donegal Racing won their second Remsen after first victorious in 2011 with the Dale Romans
Dale L. Romans (born August 14, 1966 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer, best known for winning the 2011 Preakness Stakes with Shackleford and the Breeders' Cup Turf with Little Mike. He also upset American Pha ...
-trained O'Prado Again, while Todd Pletcher tallied his third victory in the event.
2022: three-year-old season
Mo Donegal began his three-year-old season in South Florida at Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...
in Grade III Holy Bull Stakes on 5 February. Starting as the 8/5 favorite Mo Donegal broke slowly, saved ground recovering to midpack early, moved out four wide idling a bit under pressure approaching the stretch, had a mild late surge on the far outside and finished third by lengths to White Abarrio in a time of 1:42.[ Todd Pletcher after the event said, "I was happy with the way he closed. It actually kind of hurt us that second placed Simplification didn't break well because it kind of altered the fractions of the race and there wasn't a whole lot of pace on, and that's always a disadvantage at Gulfstream." Mo Donegal was supposed to target the Fountain of Youth Stakes but a fever forced Pletcher to change plans.
Todd Pletcher shipped Mo Donegal back to New York State where he had been successful. On April 9 Mo Donegal ran in the Grade II ]Wood Memorial
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memoria ...
at Aqueduct where he was victorious as a two-year-old. Facing seven other three-year-olds broke near the back while carried in a bit.[ After rallying from last in the field of eight and erasing pacesetting ]Early Voting
Early voting, also called advance polling or pre-poll voting, is a convenience voting process by which voters in a public election can vote before a scheduled election day. Early voting can take place remotely, such as via postal voting, or in ...
's two-length lead at the eighth pole, Mo Donegal picked up 100 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a points system by which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. It features dozens of stakes races for 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the number and specific races have chang ...
to vault into fourth in points with 112 and was assured for a start toward the May 7 opening leg of the Triple Crown.
With 112 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a points system by which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. It features dozens of stakes races for 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the number and specific races have chang ...
Mo Donegal figured to be one of the chance to win the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
. Starting at odds of 10/1 Mo Donegal drew Post 1 as on habit broke awkwardly and was away behind the field. He was unhurried toward the inside near the back of the pack by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr
Irad Ortiz Jr. (born August 11, 1992) is a Puerto Rican jockey who has been a leading rider in the New York Thoroughbred horse racing circuit since 2012. He won his first Breeders' Cup race on Lady Eli in 2014, and his first American Classic on ...
. He was forced out ten wide leaving the second turn and was making up ground far too late finishing nearly 4 lengths in fifth place behind shock winner Rich Strike.[ Connections decided to pass up on the ]Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...
, second leg of the Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
.
On 11 June, Mo Donegal was entered to the Belmont Stakes and faced his stablemate, the filly Nest
A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materia ...
and 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike and five other horses.[ Mo Donegal was selected as the fourth pick in the field starting at odds of just over 5/1.][
Mo Donegal coaxed from the gate, went two to three wide through the opening bend before settling three wide in pursuit down the backstretch in mid pack. Jockey ]Irad Ortiz Jr
Irad Ortiz Jr. (born August 11, 1992) is a Puerto Rican jockey who has been a leading rider in the New York Thoroughbred horse racing circuit since 2012. He won his first Breeders' Cup race on Lady Eli in 2014, and his first American Classic on ...
swung the colt four wide into upper stretch with dead aim on the leaders We The People and Skippylongstocking, taking over the lead three-sixteenths from home, edged clear under a drive shying out under a left handed stick 100 yards from home defeating his Nest by three lengths in a time of 2:28.28.[ Mike Repole who bought 25% share of Mo Donegal managed to score an exacta with Nest in second. In winning a fourth Belmont, Todd Pletcher achieved the feat for the fourth time with a horse who ran on ]Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
weekend and then receiving a five weeks rest before winning the event.
Donegal Racing announced in early July that Mo Donegal left the Belmont with a bone bruising and would be out of training for 60 days. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the injury would prevent Mo Donegal from running in the Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
at Keeneland. The timing of the injury would ultimately lead to the horse's retirement.
Statistics
Stud career
Mo Donegal's retirement was announced on 16 September 2022. Donegal Racing's Jerry Crawford indicated that the bone bruising following the Belmont Stakes would not allow Mo Donegal to make his target races for the remainder of the year, and that the best decision was to retire him. Mo Donegal will stand at Spendthrift Farm
Spendthrift Farm is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm and burial site in Lexington, Kentucky, currently owned by Eric & Tammy Gustavson. It was founded by Leslie Combs II and named for the great stallion Spendthrift, who was owned by Combs' ...
in Lexington, Kentucky for an initial stud fee of $20,000 in 2023.[
]
Pedigree
* Mo Donegal is inbred
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
4d × 5d to the stallion Mr. Prospector, meaning that the latter appears once each in both the fourth and fifth generations on the dam side of Mo Donegal's pedigree.
References
{{reflist, 2
2019 racehorse births
Belmont Stakes winners
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Thoroughbred family 3-g
American Grade 1 Stakes winners