Uncle Heavy

Uncle Heavy, a Pennsylvania-bred Social Inclusion colt, won at first asking on Oct. 23, 2023, finishing strongly from a stalking position to take a six-furlong sprint at Parx Racing. He remained at trainer Butch Reid’s home track for his next two starts, both in stakes company against Pennsylvania-breds. Uncle Heavy got off to a slow start and never recovered in his stakes debut, finishing fifth in the seven-furlong Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes, but then rebounded to post a 1 ¼-length victory in the Wait for It Stakes at Parx on Dec. 27, stretching out to two turns easily in the one mile and 70-yard race.

That effort encouraged his connections to try Uncle Heavy against tougher competition in a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve qualifying points race, and he shipped to Aqueduct for the 1 1/8-mile Jerome Stakes on Feb. 3. With regular jockey Mychel Sanchez in the irons, Uncle Heavy sat off of the pace through the backstretch and then rallied to take aim on dueling leaders Khanate and El Grande O in the far turn. El Grande O shook clear in midstretch, but Uncle Heavy kept up momentum all the way to the finish, winning by a nose. He accumulated 20 qualifying points for the 150^th Kentucky Derby with the victory.

In his final prep for the Kentucky Derby, Uncle Heavy got off to a slow start but passed some horses late and finished fifth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino to bank an additional 10 points toward qualifying for the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

Uncle Heavy is out of the winning Tiz Wonderful mare Expect Wonderful.