Repole Reaping the Rewards of His Broad Buying Vision

Owner Mike Repole has dominated the North American yearling buying charts for five consecutive years, proving that he is more than willing to invest heavily in his vision for the sport. Repole and his various entities, including his nom de course Repole Stable and partnerships with St. Elias Stables, have dominated the yearling market from 2021 to 2025. Over these five years, they consistently ranked among the industry's top buyers, spending tens of millions of dollars to secure premium Thoroughbred prospects at major sales. A relentless competitor, the native New Yorker credits his formidable buying power at horse sales over the last five years to a broader vision that goes well beyond just traditional dirt prospects. Despite finishing as the leading owner at Saratoga Race Course multiple times, Repole noted that avoiding turf races at the upstate New York track cut his stable's potential starters in half. "If I'm only running in half the races, it's hard to win more races, and I think I started to focus a little bit more on turf racing," Repole said. Perhaps the most notable turf horse to come from that new focus was the 2023 Eclipse Award champion turf male Up to the Mark. Repole Stable and St. Elias teamed up to buy the son of Not This Time at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $450,000. He went on to earn more than $2.5 million on the track. Repole, best known for his breed-shaping champion Uncle Mo, strategically acquired colts with classic dirt pedigrees to maximize their future as stallions. As the industry evolved, he adapted seamlessly, adjusting his business model to maintain a competitive edge. He was rewarded with turf performers like Up to the Mark as well as stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Time to Dream, who is also by Not This Time. "I think the addition of buying not only dirt pedigrees, but turf pedigrees over the last four and five years, that was very purposeful, hence the increase in numbers," he said. Repole's strategy to expand his stable over the past five years has yielded impressive results. Of the 191 yearlings bought by Repole and his partnerships between 2021 and 2023, 77% (147) made it to the track, and 105 became winners. Nine horses became graded stakes winners, who won a combined 16 graded stakes races, headlined by grade 1 winners Forte and Mindframe. Sixteen horses became stakes winners (31 stakes total), and 24 became stakes-placed (34 total stakes placings). Horses purchased during those three years earned $43,876,948 on the track. Not included in those stats are stakes winner and grade 1-placed Zany and grade 1 winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Renegade, both of whom were bought by Repole in 2024, for $350,000 and $975,000, respectively. Repole credited his team, which includes Ed Rosen, Danielle Bricker, Jacob West, Todd Pletcher, Jim Martin, Madison Scott, and Alex Solis, for the great success. Although Repole has dominated the racetracks with his astute purchases, he said his plan for the upcoming yearling sales season includes a more conservative approach. "Unfortunately, I have very big concerns about the future of the sport," he said. "Yearlings you buy this year, you're going to race in 2027 as 2-year-olds, and 2028 as 3-year-olds. "The way the industry is going, races aren't filling, and the second thing is, buying state breds gets a little more nerve-racking, because you know if you buy a state bred, the whole reason is to race in restricted company, and if the state bred races don't go, you might be paying a premium to run these restricted races that in 2029 might not go. "You have to be a lot more selective, and with the foal crop going down every year, and more vet scratches, I think I'm going to be more conservative (this year)." Part of Repole's strategy is to acquire versatile athletes with both dirt and turf bloodlines. "If races don't go, and they come off the turf, it's getting a little bit tougher for a horse race," Repole explained. "I have a lot of concerns, and I think it's going to show in my purchasing this year." Repole also operates as a breeder, and his highest-earning horse to date was homebred Fierceness, who was the 2023 Eclipse champion 2-year-old colt and went on to win the 2024 Travers Stakes (G1) and 2025 Pacific Classic (G1). He retired with $5,785,320 in earnings and stood his first year at stud at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., for an advertised fee of $50,000. "I'm probably going to start to breed more," he said. "I think in this game of supply and demand, breeding more is probably the right play for me. "People are seeing the prices of these sales going up, and they have an illusion that the game is healthier just because the prices are going up, and it's really just a supply and demand. If the demand is the same, and the supply is low, you pay a premium, and I think that's what's happening." Repole also attributes rising prices for top horses to the growing popularity of ownership syndicates and racing partnerships. "When one person is paying $1 million, that's a lot, period. Now it's five people spending $200,000 (apiece), they're more apt to get to $1 million or more," he said. Repole said with the ever-evolving Thoroughbred industry, he is making moves to adapt, but noted the small breeders and owners are at a disadvantage. "I want someone to buy a horse for $40,000 and win the Kentucky Derby (G1). I bought Forte (in partnership with St. Elias) for $110,000, so it doesn't take a $1 million horse to win the big races. In fact, most of them won't come out." Repole also cited his program—which includes retaining an approximate 25% stake in several of his future stallions—as another key reason to expand his breeding operations. "This year we bred a bunch to Fierceness and Mindframe," he said. "The Forte yearlings are coming out this year. They've sold well so far as foals. People are super excited about Up to the Mark. I had those (foals) this year. I had Mo Donegal babies as 2-year-olds. "I had Vino Rosso. I had a little horse called Uncle Mo," he quipped. Repole attributed his shift toward breeding more to multiple factors, most notably his desire to actively support his own strong roster of stallions. He expressed his excitement about the prospect of breeding mares to Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Renegade, down the road. "The game has never been easy, but I think we've made it a little tougher," he said. "I have the ability to pivot. I have a great team, but it doesn't mean it should be this difficult. That's a lot of the reason why I'm fighting for the future."