Owner Mike Repole announced Monday that 2010 juvenile champion, Uncle Mo, would retire from racing after finishing 10th Saturday in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Repole said postrace tests on Uncle Mo showed elevated levels of the enzyme gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), according to the Daily Racing Form.
The last time the test showed an elevated level of GGT, Uncle Mo was diagnosed with a rare liver disease, knocking him out of May's Kentucky Derby just one day before the race.
"We don't want to continue down this road where he's going to get ill again," Repole said Monday. "The vets did say that the stress and rigors of training could always bring about this elevated GGT."
Repole said the liver disease, cholangiohepatitis, has not resurfaced in Uncle Mo, who was the morning-line favorite for the Classic.
"The encouraging thing I heard from (the veterinarian) today was that this is a nonhereditary disorder," Repole added. "Now, I only hope that Uncle Mo passes his speed, disposition, conformation and brilliance on to his foals."
Uncle Mo finished 10th Saturday, nearly seven lengths behind the winner, Drosselmeyer. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the enzyme issue may have contributed to the poor effort but also said he did not believe Uncle Mo handled the surface well.
Uncle Mo finishes his career with five wins in eight starts and earnings of $1.6 million. He capped off his spectacular 2-year-old season last year with an emphatic four-length win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.
