Mike Repole

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's morning-line favorite Forte (Violence) was scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday at 9 a.m. ET by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission state veterinarian, Churchill Downs said in a press release Saturday. After Forte jogged on the track this morning, a lengthy discussion ensued with state veterinarians, co-owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher. Repole said that they were concerned about a bruised right front foot that was sustained during training on Wednesday. Upon further examination of the foot in question, the Derby...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A trio of GI Kentucky Derby workers enjoyed the spotlight during training hours on a brisk Tuesday morning beneath the Twin Spires. Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) was hard held beneath Masatoshi Segawa and ready to do much more as he hit the top of the stretch. He finished up strongly once let loose down the lane and completed his four-furlong breeze in :49.60 (13/20). The G2 UAE Derby winner will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Christophe Lemaire. His countrymate Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai...

Mike Repole, the co-owner of champion and recent GII Fountain of Youth S. winner Forte, was effusive in his praise for the Kentucky Derby hopeful on this week's TDN Writers' Room.

Four days after his Forte (Violence) won the GII Fountain of Youth S. in his 3-year-old debut, co-owner Mike Repole was still beaming. At this point, Forte's lead-up to the GI Kentucky Derby has been perfect. There have been no hiccups and his race in the Fountain of Youth checked every conceivable box. So what did Repole, who owns the horse in partnership with Vinnie Viola, think? We had Repole join us on the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to find out. Repole was this week's Green Group...

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher is on fire, unveiling one promising colt or filly after another in maiden, allowance, and stakes races it seems. Last month, Pletcher won his eighth Eclipse Award as North America's leading trainer. Not only that, but three horses trained by Pletcher also won Eclipses: Forte (Violence), champion 2-year-old colt; Nest (Curlin), champion 3-year-old filly; and Malathaat (Curlin), champion older female. Like Pletcher, Curlin shone at the Eclipses. Aside from Nest and Malathaat, his Elite Power was named champion sprinter of 2022, giving the Hill 'n'...

LEXINGTON, KY-The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale went through its supplemental catalogue and into its addendum to finally find its top-priced offering when Lemieux (Nyquist) sold to Nice Guys Stable for $400,000 just hips before the auction concluded its two-day run Tuesday in Lexington with steady results. "We saw a continuation of the marketplace that we experienced yesterday and that we saw in January and we saw in November, October, September and July," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the sale's close Tuesday. "I think it's a very fair marketplace....

Breeders' Cup Juvenile races produced both the 2-year-old filly and colt champions, with Wonder Wheel taking the filly statue and Forte leading the colts. WONDER WHEEL Each spring, as most trainers get their promising 2-year-olds ready to begin their careers, invariably one or two (or maybe more, depending on the conditioner) of these youngsters stand out. And just as invariably, these trainers hold their breath and cross everything they can cross to help ensure everything goes right enough that the end result--a Breeders' Cup win--produces the ultimate result--the Eclipse Award....

When Golden Pal retired to Coolmore America for the 2023 season, he became the second son of Uncle Mo to join his sire at the farm, alongside Mo Town. A 15-year-old stalwart of the Coolmore stallion roster, Uncle Mo is currently enjoying a bit of a hot streak with his group of 2023 three-year-olds. Arabian Knight is the #1 ranked horse on the TDN's Derby Top Contenders off one start-the first race on the Breeders' Cup Saturday card--indicating just how impressive that race was. The $2.3-million sales topper at OBS...

Alex Solis II and Jason Litt, who operate the Solis/Litt bloodstock agency, have joined forces with owner Mike Repole, who has continued to add to his team as both his stable and his goals have grown in recent years. Repole, who owns many horses in partnership with Vinnie Viola, has about 300 horses and has been very active in recent years at the yearling sales. "I am all about family and friends," Repole said. "Over the last couple of years they've been helping me out with some yearlings and colts...

Spendthrift Farm has added four new stallions to their extensive roster for 2023. Of those, two carry the weighty distinction of winning a graded stake at two. Both precocious horses furthered their success on the racetrack after their juvenile campaigns. Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo - Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) took home a hard-fought win in the 2021 GII Remsen S. and went on to claim a Classic victory this year. His new studmate Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music - Unicorn Girl, by A.P. Five Hundred) came close to an undefeated season at...

LEXINGTON, KY - With Keeneland's illuminated grandstand apron already beginning to fill up, Breeders' Cup weekend's main attraction Flightline (Tapit) once again kickstarted training hours with another spirited 1 1/4-mile gallop just after 6 a.m. After having a quarter crack patched on Wednesday, fellow Classic runner and future Airdie stallion Happy Saver (Super Saver) returned to the track for light training shortly thereafter. The Steve Asmussen-trained duo of Gunite (Gun Runner) (Dirt Mile) and champion sprinter Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) made a big impression beneath the lights as temperatures hovered...

LEXINGTON, KY -  Mike Repole is heading into Breeders' Cup weekend with 'Uncle Mo' on his side. After fulfilling a lifelong dream by running one-two in the GI Belmont S. with the recently retired and Spendthrift-bound Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and Nest (Curlin)--one of Repole's seven Grade I victories on the year--the momentum has continued to build for the native New Yorker's stable ahead of this year's Championships at Keeneland. 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) and Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), two of the bigger names on the 'Future Stars Friday'...