Mike Repole

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which opened with a record-setting session Monday, continued with an action-packed second Book 1 session Tuesday, establishing yet another September session record average and median. Twenty horses sold for $1 million or more during the session, led by a colt by Gun Runner and a filly by Flightline who brought matching $2.2 million price tags. "It was a good day at the sale, for sure," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "We built on what...

Mike Repole, huddled with his team at the reserved seating tables at the back of the pavilion, went to $1.5 million to acquire a colt by Gun Runner out of multiple Grade I winner Cavorting (Bernardini) (hip 278) from the Indian Creek consignment Tuesday at the Keeneland September sale. The colt, a half-brother to last year's $5-million September topping son of Curlin, as well as to Grade I winner Clairiere (Curlin), was bred by Barbara Banke's Stonestreet. Repole was active during Monday's first session of the auction, but kicked into...

It was another memorable meet at Saratoga, which ended its 2025 season Monday having generated paid attendance exceeding one million fans for the 10th straight year. However, that wasn't enough to avoid a small decrease in all-sources handle. The total handle at the meet was $791,129,471, off just a tick from 2024's handle of $803,806,984. Total on-track average daily handle was virtually even with 2024 figures, $19,778,237 versus $20,610,435. "Saratoga is special in many ways, but it is the enthusiastic support from fans and horseplayers that transforms this historic venue...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Early Sunday afternoon, Mike Repole wasn't sure if he had slept or not Saturday night. "I might have taken a nap from 2 (a.m.) to 4," Repole said in the Saratoga box seat area. "I am running high on adrenaline right now." Sixteen hours earlier, Repole, with 40 friends and family--including Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher--gathered at his Saratoga house and watched Fierceness (City of Light) overcome a world of trouble and still draw off to a 3 1/4-length win over GI Preakness Stakes winner...

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was thrown from Mindframe (Constitution) shortly after the start of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sunday at Saratoga, escaped serious injury in the incident, according to his agent, Steve Rushing. Ortiz was sent to Albany Medical Center for evaluation, and while tests were not completed, the signs were postiive at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night. "It looks like he escaped serious injury," Rushing texted Sunday evening. "We are still waiting on one more test." "He is cleared to ride," said Rushing. "We will see how...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There is no time for real celebration and there certainly isn't time to feel sorry for oneself. In horse racing, the game just keeps going on. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had first-hand experience of that Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course. Just before 2 p.m., he was elated and crushed in the same race, the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Just over an hour later, he had to push those emotions to the side and saddle a 2-year-old in a $100,000 maiden special weight....

The GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes is carded as the anchor for Monday's Labor Day festivities, which marks the last set of races for the season upstate. A scan through the past winners of the top-level affair over the past 25 years include a strong list of future sires. How about for starters Sky Mesa (2002), First Samurai (2005), Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Competitive Edge (2014)? More recently Practical Joke (2016), Mind Control (2018), Basin (2019), Jackie's Warrior (2020), Gunite (2021) and Forte (2022) got their picture taken before heading...

With multiple Grade I winner and second choice Mindframe (Constitution) wiped out at the break, it was Centennial Farms' longshot Antiquarian (Preservationist) holding favored Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) at bay late to win the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Sunday, earning an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. Just a day after Fierceness (City of Light) overcame an adventurous beginning of his own making to win the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar, stablemate Mindframe was less lucky at Saratoga, catching the worst of...

When you think of Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole first-time starters, you're usually looking at a dirt horse with dirt breeding and high expectations for their future. But Pletcher is not a one-trick pony and has branched out and proven of late that he's more than capable with grass horses.  He picked up his tenth turf win at the Saratoga meet Friday when he scored in the eighth race. The mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden was won by Repole homebred Miss Picky (Uncle Mo). It was her second career start after she finished...

Looking to remain perfect while making her stakes debut, 'TDN Rising Star' Time to Dream (Not This Time) made short work of her rivals as she ran off to an easy victory in Saratoga's P.G. Johnson Stakes Wednesday afternoon. A headstrong Vernon Valley (Vekoma) went to the front from her outside draw while Time to Dream, breaking from post 1, settled at the back early through moderate early fractions of :24.03 and :49.21. Given the signal by Irad Ortiz Jr. exiting the far turn, the 3-5 choice was drawn to...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Earlier this week, owner Mike Repole took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to ask for help. He wanted to know what he should do with the two of the best older horses in the country, both, coincidentally, that he owns. Mindframe (Constitution) and Fierceness (City of Light). What to do with them next weekend? The options are simple enough. The $1 million GI Pacific Classic is being run at Del Mar in California next Saturday. The $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup is being...

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE--Americans' plans for the Arqana sale were understandably shaken up when U.S. President Donald Trump made good on his threat to impose tariffs on the European Union and others in early August, meaning that French-bred horses purchased here-like all French products imported to America--would be subject to a 15% surcharge when they are brought back into America. Several buyers are deciding to break, train and race their horses in Europe instead, while others will brave the fee and come back to the U.S. On the final day of the...