Mike Repole Returns to Derby With ‘Grande' Horse, Small Expectations
Mike Repole deeply wants to win the Kentucky Derby, but he arrives at Churchill Downs this week with tempered expectations.
The billionaire sports business executive, who is a co-founder of BodyArmor and Vitamin Water, has his 2025 hopes pinned to his 3-year-old colt Grande. Repole's horse carries 22-1 odds—an implied probability of winning below 5%—which is a vastly different outlook than last year when Repole owned the favorite Fierceness, who finished in 15th place despite a strong start.
Advertisement
More from Sportico.com
'There's a lot less pressure,' Repole said in a phone interview. 'I'm going in with an incredibly low expectation. I'm really feeling good right now, to be honest.'
Repole, the owner of Repole Stable, purchased Grande for $300,000 in a yearlings sale in September 2023. Earlier this month, Grande finished second to fellow Derby starter Rodriguez in the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in Repole's hometown of Queens, N.Y., qualifying Repole for the Derby at the same track where he grew up going to races.
Grande enters the Derby with the No. 10 post position and is looking to become just the fifth horse to win the Derby with only three career starts of experience (with the latest being Mage in 2023). The horse, sired by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, will have jockey John Velazquez in the saddle and is guided by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Both Repole and Pletcher have been in business together since 2009, steadily growing their relationship beyond a typical client-partner type.
Advertisement
'Our relationship has really grown through adversity,' said Repole, who introduced two-time Derby winner Pletcher at his Hall of Fame ceremony in 2021. 'We've had a ton of highs, but we became closer through how we handled the lows together.'
One of the lowest moments between the two came two years ago when early favorite Forte was scratched just hours before the Derby due to concerns over a bruised foot. Twelve years earlier, another one of their horses, Uncle Mo, was scratched from the event due to illness.
Repole, who is 0-for-8 in the Run for the Roses,, says that he's grateful for the Derby experiences despite the heartache that has come in Louisville, Ky. He's back in town to compete in the 20-horse race for the fifth straight time, a feat that he doesn't take for granted, noting more than 20,000 thoroughbreds are born every year.
Repole, who is featured in the new Netflix series Race for the Crown, will be accompanied at the Derby by roughly 75 close friends, family members and longtime business associates. The gathering is a tradition for Repole, who acquired athletic brand NOBULL in 2023 and remains a big booster for his alma mater St. John's. He uses the first weekend in May as a moment to enjoy the Derby festivities with his inner circle. Repole joked that he's looking to win the $3 million first-place prize so he can 'break even' on the trip given the pricy accommodations between travel and hotel costs.
Advertisement
'One of the things about being blessed financially is the ability to share experiences with people,' he said. 'To me, it's like a three-day holiday weekend.'
Best of Sportico.com
Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Journalism, Sovereignty to meet again in Belmont Stakes
Preakness winner Journalism trains on in preparation for the 157th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course (AL BELLO) Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and Preakness winner Journalism renew their rivalry Saturday in the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of US racing's Triple Crown being held this year at Saratoga Race Course. Sovereignty out-dueled Journalism in the final straight to give the Godolphin stable a first Kentucky Derby victory in May, but was held out of the Preakness -- won by Journalism in a gritty performance at Pimlico, where he was bottled up on the turn for home but bulled through under jockey Umberto Rispoli to reel in Gosger and claim a sensational win. Advertisement Despite coming back on less rest -- and as the only horse in the Belmont field this year to contest all three Triple Crown races -- Journalism was installed as the early 8-5 favorite after drawing the seventh post for the $2 million race -- which will be run at 1 1/4 miles rather than the traditional 1 1/2 as Saratoga hosts for a second straight year because of ongoing renovations at Belmont Park. Sovereignty drew the second post and was priced at 2-1, but Rispoli said he wouldn't be counting on a two-horse race in a quality field of eight. "Obviously we are the two that won the first two legs (of the Triple Crown) and people want to see a rematch, but I think Baeza will be there as well," Rispoli said. Baeza, trained by John Shirreffs and ridden by Flavien Prat, finished third in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness. Advertisement Rodriguez, trained by Bob Baffert, is expected to set the early pace and will have Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, a three-time Belmont winner, in the irons. The colt missed both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with a hoof injury. "We don't need to disrespect any other horse in this field," Rispoli said. "If they are here, there's a reason." Journalism trainer Mike McCarthy said the colt appears unfazed by the busy schedule. "Good horses just do things that much easier," McCarthy said. "He seems like his energy is back whee it was five weeks ago leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Advertisement "He's giving us a lot of good signals," McCarthy added. Trainer Bill Mott said Sovereignty, who will again be ridden by Junior Alvarado, has continued to progress since the Derby. - An interesting race - "He's improved, as many of these horses have," Mott said. "This entire group, if yu look at their form and the way they've developed over the course of this year, I think they've made steady progress. "It should be an interesting race on Saturday." The decision of Sovereignty's connections to skip the Preakness reignited debate over the traditional scheduling of the Triple Crown races, and whether they should be spaced further apart. Advertisement Since Justify won the Triple Crown in 2018 four of seven Kentucky Derby winners have skipped the Preakness. Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he thought the host racetracks were probably best placed to decide "if and how they need to evolve" "There have been probably plenty of debates about it, but we were pretty confident that it was the right thing to do for our horse and with the spacing of his races so far he's responded very well with that." bb/sev
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Belmont at Saratoga is a draw, but keeping the Triple Crown relevant remains a concern
Racetracks like Saratoga have attempted to make the weekend a spectacle, with bands and activities throughout the races in hopes of showing the greatness of horse racing and what a day at the track looks like. Advertisement 'It's a great day out, lots of excitement,' said Michael Banahan of Godolphin, who owns Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The outreach extends beyond the track. Places like America's Best Racing are working to educate casual fans about everything from betting to how well horses are taken care of and what to expect on race day. It has connected with celebrities and influencers to get them involved in horse racing. That most recently included TikTok star Griffin Johnson, who was given a small ownership stake in Derby and Preakness horse Sandman. Advertisement Johnson showed himself getting ready for the races, bathing Sandman and showing what the colt does on his off day. Through this, the combined accounts of ABR and Johnson totaled 268 million-plus impressions and 111 million views. 'It's great to have another young horse racing fan in the room,' said ABR's director of digital marketing, Rachel Miller. 'But, obviously, the same formula isn't going to work forever. It's going to reach a point where maybe Griffin's involvement in racing may stall out or Sandman's not racing anymore. There are just so many unknown variables, especially in this sport, and that's one of the harder sells.' There's another option to draw more viewers, but it's controversial. Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty gets in some work Thursday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Seth Wenig/Associated Press Ever since Banahan believes spacing out the legs for more rest could attract higher-caliber horses, with more of a chance of the Kentucky Derby winner running, raising interest. 'I'm not too sure if that'll be the case or not,' Banahan said. 'I think the quality of racing is probably what draws people in. I think if we get better horses in all those races, I think they'll get the casual to tune into those as well. Good competition, good horses in there, that happens by having a little more time between to rest. That'll be good for us.' Not everyone agrees that extending the time in between races would increase viewership. Trainer Chad Brown, who has Hill Road in the Belmont, thinks extending the time in between races actually will hurt the Triple Crown. Advertisement 'I think if you start spreading it out, you run the risk of losing everyone's attention, too,' Brown said. 'That's a long time for everyone to be invested in watching how this turns out. I think that the average sports fan moves on from sport to sport throughout the year. 'I think we have to be happy that we have some of them just for the Triple Crown, even if we can't get them all the way through the bigger stuff. I think extending events runs risks for that.'
Fox Sports
3 hours ago
- Fox Sports
2025 Belmont Stakes odds: 'I don't think it'll be a two-horse race'
Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby, edging out Journalism. Then in the Preakness Stakes, which Sovereignty skipped, Journalism rolled to victory. The two will do battle once more on Saturday in the Belmont Stakes on FOX, to cap the 2025 Triple Crown. So, Belmont Stakes odds come down to a two-horse race, right? Well, maybe not. "I don't think it'll be a two-horse race. I don't see it that way. There are other horses who could surprise," said Johnny Avello, director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings. Avello, who's been around horse racing much of his life and is one of the keenest betting minds in the sport, serves up his insights on 2025 Belmont Stakes odds. Battle of Saratoga For the second straight year, the Belmont Stakes is at Saratoga, while Belmont Park undergoes renovations. Monday's post-position draw saw Journalism land the No. 7 gate in an eight-horse field, while Sovereignty will break from the No. 2 gate. Morning Line odds then went up, with Journalism an 8/5 favorite, narrowly ahead of Sovereignty at 2/1 for Saturday's 7:07 p.m. ET post time on FOX. There's plenty to like about both horses, most notably that each already has a Triple Crown win this year. "I think Journalism and Sovereignty will both be bet pretty heavily. They're both gonna take their share of money," Avello said. "But Baeza was a really close third in the Kentucky Derby. He's getting better. He'll take some money." As the 4/1 third choice, Baeza isn't too far behind Journalism and Sovereignty. Rain and Rest Saratoga could see rain Saturday, though Avello notes that's not necessarily a disadvantage for the top two horses. But another factor could be part of the equation: Like Sovereignty, Baeza is well-rested after skipping the Preakness. On the flip side, Journalism ran the Derby on May 3, then the Preakness on May 17, and will now run the 1.25-mile Belmont. "Sovereignty and Journalism have both run good in the slop," Avello said. "I think Journalism is a great horse. But running three races over five weeks might take a lot out of a 3-year-old." Dark Horse Bids Avello pointed to two other horses he thinks are worth a look in the win pool for Belmont Stakes odds. "Rodriguez likes to go to the front, and so does Crudo. Those two horses should be on the front end early, and we'll see how far they can go," Avello said. Rodriguez was set to run the Kentucky Derby, but had to withdraw a couple of days out with a hoof issue. So he's back and going on plenty of rest as the 6/1 fourth choice. Crudo didn't run the Derby. But on Preakness Saturday at Pimlico, he ran on the undercard in the Sir Barton Stakes and rolled to a 7.5-length victory. Crudo is at 15/1 odds, so an upset there would represent a nice payout. Avello also mentioned 10/1 fifth choice Hill Road and 30/1 long shot Heart of Honor. "Hill Road won the Peter Pan Stakes, and he was third in the Tampa Bay Derby," Avello said. "He's ridden by one of the best jockeys, Irad Ortiz Jr., and he has one of the best trainers, Chad Brown. "I could see Heart of Honor maybe getting third. So you might want to use him in your trifectas." Heart of Honor is 30/1 to win the Belmont, after skipping the Derby and taking fifth in the Preakness. Free Money In both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, DraftKings put up significant bonus money for those betting via DK's horse racing app. Deemed King of the Track, the bonus was $1 million in the Derby and $250,000 in the Preakness. By opting in on the app, then making at least a $5 to-win bet on a horse, customers got a chance at a share of the bonus money. The caveat, of course, is that your horse had to win. In the Derby, DraftKings paid out an additional $291 to every King of the Track bettor who wagered on Sovereignty to win. In the Preakness, all those who took Journalism to win claimed an additional $41 apiece, along with whatever their bet paid out. Belmont's King of the Track bonus is $200,000. It's free money, so if you're going to bet on the race winner regardless, and DK is an option in your state, then you might as well take your shot. Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from Horse Racing Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
