The win of Carressa in the Gr 3 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita was yet another reminder of the vagaries of stallion efficiency.
Carressa is the 53rd stakes winner for Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and seven other Grade 1 winners.
As the unbeaten champion North American 2yo of 2010, it is reasonable to assume Uncle Mo would do well in Australia and he shuttled there under the Coolmore banner for four seasons from 2012 to 2015, the last his most prolific at a fee of $16,500.
From his 350 live foals he got just two stakes winners, the Gr 2 Hobartville Stakes winner Man From Uncle and the Listed winning filly Moqueen.
That’s a record which is in complete contrast to his excellent home results.
What makes Caressa’s Megahertz win all the more confusing is that it was on turf – the first time the four-year-old had been tried on the surface.
Indeed, Uncle Mo has 11 graded winners on turf which makes his disappointing results in Australia even harder to fathom.
All eight of Uncle Mo’s Grade 1 winners are out of mares by different sires – Afleet Alex, Arch, Bernardini, Elusive Quality Empire Maker, Forestry, Unbridled and Unusual Heat.
He has enjoyed good success with mares carrying Mr Prospector – Carressa’a broodmare sire Desert God is by Fappiano – and has three stakes winners with duplications of Dixieland Band. His 2019 Gr 1 winning 2yo Bast is 3×2 to Arch.