Mike Repole

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Given his choice, trainer Brendan Walsh would rather not see it wet on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. That's because the big horse in his barn, Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) is scheduled to run in the GI Ogden Phipps S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard at Saratoga Race Course. "The less rain we get, the better," Walsh said while sitting in his office at his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. Owned by Godolphin LLC. Pretty Mischievous has seen off-tracks before and has run okay....

Fierceness (City of Light), the beaten favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to make his next start in the GI Belmont S. on June 8 in Saratoga. "He has settled in well and we are pointing to the Belmont," trainer Todd Pletcher said in a text. Sent off at 3-1, Fierceness finished 15th, beaten 24 1/2 lengths in the Derby. When asked if his colt had any excuses in the Derby, Pletcher replied: "Perhaps too close to a fast pace? Stuck a little wide on both turns?" Following...

Prominent owner Mike Repole dipped a toe into Japanese public sales for the first time Friday, paying ¥33 million ($211,794) for a 2-year-old filly by the outstanding Orfevre (Jpn) at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale. Foaled on Valentine's Day in 2022, the bay was bred by Shadai Farm and is out of Unlimited Budget (Street Sense), making this something of a full-circle moment for the owner. "We've been studying the Japanese pedigrees for months now. We recently purchased two Deep Impact (Jpn) mares," Repole explained. "This purchase was just another opportunity...

Champion 3-year-old filly and MGISW Nest (Curlin--Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy) has been retired from racing her owner Mike Repole told the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday. The owner who bought out his partners on Nest--Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House--for $6 million last fall at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale intended to race Nest this year. After three workouts at Stonestreet Farm in Ocala, Florida, she was set to ship to trainer Todd Pletcher's string at Saratoga, but a diagnostic exam was performed and showed "a slight abnormality in her...

Asked to sum up his victory with Mystik Dan (Goldencents) in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Ken McPeek succinctly said, "Wow," Sunday morning on the Churchill Downs backside. An 18-1 outsider, Mystik Dan just held on to a nose victory after a rail-skimming trip under Brian Hernandez, Jr. "Brian Hernandez gave him the ride," a joyous but sleep-deprived McPeek said. "Look, he doesn't win the race without the job Brian did." For his part, Hernandez was appreciative of McPeek's faith in him. "I was fortunate to ride for Kenny," said...

Champion 2-year-old Colt, 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Curlin Florida Derby hero Fierceness (City of Light) returned to action Friday with his first work following his 13 1/2-length romp in last month's Florida Derby. The Repole Stables-owned runner went four furlongs in :50.17 (13/22) under regular pilot John Velazquez with trainer Todd Pletcher looking on. "He's been great since the Florida Derby. His energy level is good. He's seemed to take the race really well," said Pletcher. "He had a nice easy breeze this morning and was moving great. Really,...

7th-KEE, $110K, $100k Opt. Clm., 3yo, 1 1/16m, 4:12 p.m. e Five Thoroughbreds and Ian Brennan's ROCKETEER (Curlin) lived up to his name when airing by four lengths in his career debut going seven panels at this venue last October. Working consistently for trainer Brad Cox, the colt posted a bullet five-furlong move in :59 4/5 at Churchill Downs Mar. 31 before going four furlongs in :48 4/5 Apr. 6. A grandson of Grade I winner Stop Traffic (Cure the Blues), the colt takes blinkers off for this go around....

It very quickly became clear that the stallions launched in 2019 included an above-average proportion equipped to last the course. And the start being made by their second crop of sophomores has only reiterated that impression. Thanks to the contentious prohibition of his ban by a gaming corporation, GI Arkansas Derby winner Muth is ineligible to give Good Magic a second GI Kentucky Derby from two attempts. (Though the Hill 'n' Dale sire might yet manage that with the same mare who gave him the first one, with Mage's brother...

'TDN Rising Star' and champion 2-year-old Fierceness (City of Light) exited his 13 1/2-length romp in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby in "great" condition according to a social media post by owner Repole Stables. The post, accompanied by a photo of the colt with his winning flowers, reads: "Good morning from Fierceness. He came out of the race great. What a thrilling and epic performance! Happy and healthy Easter to all." With a leaderboard-topping 136 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Fierceness is bound for Louisville along with...

The New York Supreme Court for the County of Schenectady on Friday granted trainer Todd Pletcher a preliminary injunction precluding the New York State Gaming Commission from enforcing penalties related to the disqualification of Forte (Violence) from his win in the 2022 GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga Race Course, meaning that the sanctions are halted until the court decides issues of the case related to due process and rules interpretations. According to the Mar. 29 court order, the NYSGC had found that "based upon blood and urine samples taken after...

Repole Stable's Fierceness (City of Light), who was named a 'TDN Rising Star' after he broke his maiden at first asking at Saratoga last August, breezed five furlongs Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs in preparation for the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 30 at Gulfstream Park, the track said in a release late Friday afternoon. The 2023 Eclipse Award 2-year-old champion, who finished third in the Feb. 3 GIII Holy Bull S., breezed in company with Spendthrift Farm's Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso). The Todd Pletcher-trained duo was timed in...

After an abbreviated three-race campaign in 2023, Nest (Curlin) has returned to training for her 5-year-old season. Mike Repole bought out his partners in the champion 3-year-old filly of 2022--Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House--for a co-topping $6 million at last fall's Fasig-Tipton November sale. "When we put her in the sale, I really went there with a game plan of she might retire as a broodmare," Repole said. "The Japanese were bidding on her and I've seen so many of these horses go to Japan, and, honestly, I didn't...