Trainer Todd Pletcher says Kentucky Derby contender Uncle Mo ''needs to have a good 19 days'' if he's going to enter the Run for the Roses.
Uncle Mo took his first gallop at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, a day after he arrived from New York. The 3-year-old colt is coming off a disappointing third-place finish in the Wood Memorial, and postrace tests discovered he is suffering from a gastrointestinal infection.
Pletcher said the horse is ''doing very well'' but is still far from a lock in running under the twin spires on May 7. Uncle Mo dominated his last race there, rolling to victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last fall.
Pletcher and owner Mike Repole both say Uncle Mo would have to be ''100 percent'' to take on the other 19 horses in the Derby.
Uncle Mo arrived under the twin spires on Monday afternoon following an eventful trip from New York.
The plane carrying Uncle Mo and stablemate R Heat Lightning was briefly diverted to Dulles Airport because of a warning light that flashed on shortly after takeoff.
