Uncle Mo looks invincible, but Stay Thirsty has legs

Believe it or not, I have a lot in common with Mike Repole, owner of top Kentucky Derby contenders Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty. We both graduated from St. John's, both majored in sports administration and both have a deep love of horse racing.

The road forks widely after that. Repole is easily among the wealthiest in his St. John's graduating class, and I am not.

Repole founded Vitaminwater and eventually sold the company to Coca-Cola. This has allowed him to invest in horse racing, and on-track success has come quickly. Uncle Mo is unbeaten in four starts, including last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He is building an aura of invincibility.

The final prep for Uncle Mo will be in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9. Another easy win is likely because few colts are willing to try him. Can't say I blame them. With a Wood win, you can pencil in Uncle Mo as the 8-5 favorite for the Kentucky Derby.

However, I have publicly stated since last fall that I prefer Stay Thirsty once the distances get longer and the races get harder. His Gotham Stakes win has been roundly ignored, but I think he got more out of it than the paid public workout Uncle Mo ran in the Timely Writer Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Uncle Mo might have another easy time in the Wood, while Stay Thirsty will be at the Florida Derby taking on tigers such as Dialed In. In my mind, the path of least resistance is not always the best road to the Kentucky Derby.

Another reason for my opinion is the pedigree of these two colts. Uncle Mo is by Indian Charlie, whose sons and daughters have shown distance limitations. Stay Thirsty is by Bernardini, winner of the 2006 Preakness and second in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Bernardini is a son of A.P. Indy, a Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic winner. If Repole wins the Derby, I really think it will be Stay Thirsty in a major upset.

Finally, in betting on horse racing, I would rather be wrong on a 20-1 long shot than right on an 8-5 chalk.

■ SOUTH POINT SIX -- After nine weeks of carryovers, the South Point Six handicapping contest was finally won Thursday. The lone perfect ticket of six winners in six races was worth $23,570.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.