Breeders Cup 2011: Uncle Mo Set Up for a Disappointing Finish

We talk a lot about athletes having tough years. Sometimes these tough years are brought on by physical ailments. Other times they are a case of simple disappointment.

Uncle Mo has experienced both in 2011. His year started promisingly enough with a win in early March, but things quickly fell apart from there.

If you don't recall the whole story, Uncle Mo first started struggling with a gastrointestinal infection shortly before the Wood Memorial in April. He went on to race, but finished a disappointing third. He proceeded to miss all three legs of the Triple Crown and didn't race again in late August.

On the bright side, all of this could be forgotten quite easily this coming Saturday, as Uncle Mo is slated to race in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, a race that has a $5 million purse attached to it.

Uncle Mo is certainly a favorite to win the race. At last check, the folks at Bodog had his odds of winning the race at 7/2, giving him a slight edge on Havre de Grace.

Because Uncle Mo has run well since returning to racing in late August, he would almost seem to be an easy bet.

But I say "seem" for a reason.

Despite the fact Uncle Mo may seem like a good bet, the one thing you have to keep in mind is that he is going to be taking on a race that is longer than he's used to. The Breeders' Cup Classic is a mile and a quarter race, which is longer than any race Uncle Mo has run. In fact, the Wood Memorial is the longest race Uncle Mo has tackled, and it was only one and 1/8 of a mile.

Even Uncle Mo's own trainer has his doubts.

"He's done nothing to indicate he can't get the distance," Todd Pletcher said on Sunday, per the USA Today. "But until he does, you don't know for sure."

It would be easy to have faith in Uncle Mo's ability to handle a longer race if he was coming into it under normal circumstances, but he's not. He hasn't had the same kind of preparation as other horses in the field, and you have to consider that a disadvantage.

If Uncle Mo were to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, it would undoubtedly be a great story. My guess is that many people are going to pick him to win it for that very reason.

The truth is that Uncle Mo may as well be considered an underdog in this race. He most definitely could win, but the cards are not stacked in his favor.