Repole Stables

Champion juvenile and 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Fierceness (City of Light) will join the ranks at Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced via release Sunday. The champion juvenile from 2023 is a leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender and will likely be one of the favorites at post-time. Of the others, Coolmore will have two other rooting interests as well with 'TDN Rising Star' GISW Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and 'TDN Rising Star' MG1SW-Eng City of Troy (Justify) in the race. That group accounts for three...

7th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 4:12 p.m. ET. SERAPHIA (Gun Runner) makes her first start for owners Twin Creeks, Jackpot, Whispering Oaks and Rick Ortyl. Initially, the filly was taken home for $675,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale before going for $1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the juvenile is out of Temptress (Tapit), who was acquired for $400,000 by Avenue Bloodstock at the Keeneland November Sale while Seraphia was in-utero. A half-sister to GSW Donegal Moon (Malibu Moon), Temptress...

It will be a family affair at Del Mar. His older brother may be looking to claim divisional honors on the dirt in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic next month while 2-year-old Mentee (City of Light) is taking a different route to the seaside oval, booking his slot in the gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with a win in Friday's GIII Futurity Stakes at Aqueduct. A winner by the narrowest of margins, albeit always confidently handled, in his track-record setting Aqueduct debut, the Repole Stables homebred...

2nd-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:37p.m. ET Breaking from the rail for owner/breeder St. Elias Stable is COMPLEX AGENDA (Quality Road), who brings with him a loaded pedigree and a bullet work over the grass at Saratoga. Said move was three works back over the training track Aug. 2, where he went seven panels with the dogs up in 1:29 flat (1/4). His dam, GSW Nonna Mela (Arch), won the GII Adirondack and ran second in the GII Prioress Stakes. That mare is a half-sister to multiple Listed winner,...

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 12:35 p.m. ET. Debuting upstate is 2-year-old NANTZ (Tapit)--a $600,000 purchase during last year's Keeneland September Sale. Owned by partners Repole Stable, Spendthrift Farm, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing, Rick Kanter, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson, the Todd Pletcher trainee is the first foal for MSW Divine Queen (Divine Park). She's out of SW Town Queen (Williamstown), who also produced SW Queen's Award (Medaglia d'Oro) and the dam of MGSW The Player (Street Hero). Also set for his unveiling is Aviator Gui (Uncle...

Last year's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), a very disappointing 15th as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby last out, showed up in a big way Saturday, defeating favored 'Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) by a length in a fantastic renewal of the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to Batten Down (Tapit) in third. Drawn widest of all in post six, the 9-5 second-choice exited the stalls running beneath John Velazquez and was perfectly...

Every now and then, a horse comes along who never seems to set a foot wrong. From record-setting freshman sire to perennial top 10 stallion, Uncle Mo is one of those horses. Additionally, it seems every time the Coolmore America/Ashford Stud sire reaches a new benchmark, he moves the bar just a little--or a lot--higher. The first-ever stakes winner for Repole Stables was a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut himself and has since been represented by 18 'Rising Stars' of his own, including three since May, and sired his 15th...

7th-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 6-15, 2yo, 5f, :56.97, ft, nose. MENTEE (c, 2, City of Light--Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), on the 'Insights' radar by virtue of his relationship to full brother, champion juvenile Fierceness, MGISW, $1,703,850, stepped up to lead the field in this unveiling. The 1-2 favorite cruised along through :22.37 and :44.80 opening splits and had built a noteworthy margin entering the final furlong. Under confident handling, his rider John Velazquez never seemed worried as Colloquial (Vekoma) rapidly closed the gap with a furious late...

'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), the likely favorite for next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, completed his final breeze for the first leg of the Triple Crown with a half-mile work Friday in :48.80 (43/68). Working under jockey John Velazquez and in company with fellow 'Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road), the Repole Stables homebred and runaway GI Curlin Florida Derby winner worked through fractions of :12.80, :24.80, :36.80 and :48.80 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.60, six furlongs in 1:12.60 and seven-eighths in 1:26. "I'm very, very...

When Fierceness (City of Light) put on a show in the GI Florida Derby there didn't seem to be any question over who the favorite would be in the GI Kentucky Derby. The Mike Repole-homebred put on quite a show that day, winning by a record 13 1/2 lengths while earning a 110 Beyer figure, the fastest dirt number recorded by any horse this year. He gave the impression that if he could duplicate that race in the Kentucky Derby, there wouldn't be a horse on the planet that could...

2023's Eclipse champion 2-year-old Fierceness (City of Light) leads a list of 346 nominations to the 2024 Triple Crown according to a Tuesday release by the Kentucky Racing Communications Office. Last weekend's GIII Holy Bull S. third is one of 20 nominees owned by Repole Stables and one of 54 trained by Todd Pletcher to lead their respective categories. A further 18 horses were nominated by Bob Baffert and Brad Cox respectively. While the total number of nominees is down from last year, there are a record 47 potential runners...

Arcangelo (Arrogate) was in fine shape Sunday following his victory in the GI Travers S. at Saratoga Saturday, but connections will take their time before picking out a next start for the sophomore. "He came back well and is full of himself today," said trainer Jena Antonucci. "Of course the Breeders' Cup is on the radar, but horses don't care about schedules or spreadsheets. We'll do what we've been doing and give him his space. We'll let him pave the way." Arcangelo added the Travers to his win in the...