Uncle Chuck

Every year, the Fasig-Tipton July sale offers the first chance for buyers to get a look at a new crop of yearling sires. Many buyers were seeing these sires' yearlings for the first time this week, and while it's admittedly early, we took a little survey to get their first impressions. The group includes: Basin, Beau Liam, By My Standards, Charlatan, Core Beliefs, Essential Quality, Independence Hall, Knicks Go, Known Agenda, Leinster, Lexitonian, Maxfield, Modernist, Raging Bull, Rock Your World, Silver State, Tacitus, Uncle Chuck, and Yaupon. LIZ CROW: Tacitus...

GSW Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo--Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song), whose first foals are yearlings of 2024, was humanely euthanized Dec. 22 according to Brent Fernung, owner of Journeyman Stud in Florida. The 6-year-old stallion was standing at Journeyman at the time of his death. Uncle Chuck was determined to be suffering from untreatable lymphoma. "We're devastated by this loss," said Fernung. "He was a beautiful horse, and his first crop of foals are carbon copies of him. Beyond that, Uncle Chuck had a great demeanor and was a pleasure to...

Multiple leading Florida sire Khozan will have his stud fee set at $6,500, according to a release Thursday from Journeyman Stud. An eleven-year-old son of Distorted Humor, Khozan was the leading 2-year-old sire in Florida when his first crop ran in 2019 and has continued to be the Sunshine State's leading general sire every year since. Represented by 12 black-type runners this year, including GIII Delaware Oaks winner Foggy Night, Me and Mr. C, winner of the Kentucky Downs Preview S. and R Harper Rose, recent winner of the Susan's...

Journeyman Stud has relocated to Brent and Crystal Fernung's Reddick, Florida property for the 2023 breeding season. "When we built the original stallion farm in 2008, our goal was to accommodate a large contingent of stallions and hence a fifteen-stall stallion barn," said Brent Fernung. "Over the years, we've changed our sights toward more quality, fewer numbers and no longer saw the need for the larger operation. We've owned the Reddick property since 2006 and previously utilized it as our foaling facility and to start breaking yearlings." The new Journeyman...

At Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Florida, one feels a sense of family and mutual respect among all of the inhabitants--horses, dogs and people. The atmosphere is relaxed and happy. Brent Fernung of Journeyman Stud and his wife, Crystal, have been cornerstones of the Thoroughbred industry in Florida for more than 40 years. Under Fernung's management Congrats, the leading first-crop sire of 2010, and Wildcat Heir, North America's leading second-crop sire in 2010, both began their careers. In addition to its two new stallions Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo--Forest Music, by Unbridled's...

Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo--Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song), romping winner of last year's GIII Los Alamitos Derby, has been retired to Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Stud near Ocala, FL and will stand the 2022 season there for $6,500, LFSN. Campaigned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trainer by Bob Baffert, the $250,000 KEESEP yearling is out of MGSW/MGISP Forest Music (Unbridled's Song), making him a half to successful Kentucky-based sire Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor) and GSWs Kentuckian (Tiznow) and Electric Forest (Curlin). "I've seen Uncle Chuck...

Following a resounding victory in the GI Belmont S., Sackatoga Stable and Barclay Tagg could have easily put their star pupil Tiz the Law (Constitution) in bubble wrap and waited for a run in the rescheduled GI Kentucky Derby. After all, only in this strange year could a team of connections have the benefit of 11 weeks of rest in between the first and second legs of the Triple Crown. Instead, the once-beaten New York-bred star will line up as a heavy favorite in Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. at...

You didn't know? Sure they do, every Travers weekend. All the Bluegrass stallions. They get together for a few bourbons at the country club, compare notes on the covering season. And it's not like the officers' mess, where no gentleman would bandy a lady's name. They guffaw when they discover that some notoriously ornery mare was sent to a naïve new subscriber; they drool enviously when one of the senior members reveals that he was favored with a visit from that gorgeous maiden who topped a session at the November...

For the second consecutive year, the $1-million GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga will be televised live on the FOX Sports broadcast network as part of a 1 1/2-hour telecast from 5:00-6:30 p.m. ET Saturday. Post time for the 151st running of the Runhappy Travers, featuring a showdown between GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) and the unbeaten Bob Baffert-trained Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo), is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. ET. An expanded Runhappy Travers Day edition of Saratoga Live, presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy and Claiborne Farm,...

GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) looks to take his next step down this unconventional GI Kentucky Derby trail in Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga. The even-money morning-line favorite will break from post six with regular rider Manny Franco in the irons. "I think he's matured enough now that outside or inside is not going to bother him too much," trainer Barclay Tagg said. "I'd prefer that he's on the outside just because you have less chance of getting in trouble. Not that you can't, but...

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Shared Belief S. Result - Cezanne finished last of four. Bankroll: $4960. GI Runhappy Travers S. - I hope people fall in love with the thought of Baffert shipping East (again!) and bet their lungs on...

"Bob's your uncle." It's one of those baffling British expressions, of no coherent origin. You use it much as the French would say: "et voila!" Typically, it rounds off some counsel so elementary that the dividends are almost mechanical. Do this simple thing, and "you're all set". For instance: go to a horse sale; buy a colt with Classic pedigree; put him into training with a silver-haired dude in California--and Bob's your uncle. Not that it can have been terribly easy for Bob Baffert to show his most avuncular side...