Owner and New York native Mike Repole has always said that a Belmont Stakes (G1) victory would mean a lot to him and as special as that victory would be, it would mean even more if one of his two runners this year were to win the 1 1/2-mile test June 11 at Belmont Park.
As part of two different partnerships Repole Stable will send out Mo Donegal , a son of Repole's beloved Uncle Mo, and Nest, who will try to become just the fourth filly to win the Belmont.
Campaigned with Donegal Racing, Mo Donegal has registered all three of his victories from six career starts in New York. Trained by three-time Belmont winner Todd Pletcher, Mo Donegal secured his maiden victory in his second start and followed with a narrow win over Zandon in the Remsen Stakes (G2). After finishing third in the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park, Mo Donegal unleashed a furious rally to catch Early Voting in deep stretch to win the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2).
That victory over the eventual Preakness Stakes (G1) winner punched Mo Donegal's ticket to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) where he finished fifth. As has been typical for non-winning Pletcher-trained Derby runners, Mo Donegal then skipped the Preakness to prepare for the Belmont.
Donegal Racing landed Mo Donegal for $250,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and as a talented runner of Uncle Mo, Repole bought into the horse ahead of the Derby. Uncle Mo, of course, is the Repole Stable runner who earned champion 2-year-old male honors in 2010 ahead of a standout stallion career in which he finished as leading freshman sire in 2015 and has twice finished among the leading stallions.
"Jerry Crawford and Donegal Racing have done an amazing job," Repole said. "Donegal Racing is the only group that might bring more people to the track Saturday than me. If Mo Donegal wins, there might be 250 people in the winner's circle."
At this point Repole can only imagine what a Belmont victory would feel like with a son of Uncle Mo, who missed the Triple Crown races because of illness.
"To have a son of Uncle Mo be the first son of Uncle Mo to win the Belmont Stakes—Nyquist was his first son to win the Derby—and have my silks on him? It would probably be very, very emotional because Uncle Mo never got the chance," Repole said. "You can only be a 3-year-old in May and June one time in your life and that happened to be the time Uncle Mo was sick.
"I've always said that if Uncle Mo had been healthy, he would have been American Pharoah before American Pharoah; he was that good. And if you look at him as a sire, he throws sprinters, distance horses; turf sprint and turf distance. They'll run on glass if they have to."
After growing up in Queens, Repole is plenty familiar with the long history of the Belmont and knows it would be a special accomplishment to win the race with a filly. Pletcher-trained Rags to Riches became the first filly in more than 100 years to win the Belmont when in 2007 she edged eventual two-time Horse of the Year Curlin .
Campaigned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House, Nest will enter the Belmont off a runner-up finish in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Before that effort, the daughter of Curlin reeled off three straight wins capped by a decisive victory in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
"The filly, after finishing second in the Oaks, to win the Belmont would be amazing," Repole said. "When Todd won the Belmont with (Rags to Riches), how good was that for the sport? It was amazing."
Repole and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners went to $350,000 to land Nest at Keeneland September. Repole was particularly active at sales during the years impacted by COVID-19. He said it's great to see those horses now deliver on the track.
"As one of the top owners in the game, I didn't want to hold back or stop buying. People look at that," Repole said. "As a horse owner and a guy who's passionate about the sport, I have an obligation to show up, whether it's at the track or the sales. And if I don't show up, my money better show up."
Repole's long-time trainer Pletcher sees that passion every day but also knows it reaches another level with the Belmont.
"This is a race that is high on his radar," Pletcher said. "He's a New York guy and of course the Belmont is New York's biggest race so this is one of the races that he really covets. We're happy to have him represented here."
Repole Stable has started seven horses, solely or in partnership, in the Belmont Stakes and nearly won in 2011 when Stay Thirsty challenged Ruler On Ice in the stretch before settling for second.
"Having two horses in this race is just amazing," Repole said. "Listen, this has been a dream race of mine since I was a kid. When I was a kid, I didn't know where Kentucky was. I didn't know if the Preakness was at Churchill or Pimlico. But I would come out to Belmont. I would go to Aqueduct more because it was easier to get to from Queens.
"To win the Belmont Stakes? I've always said this is about family and people. I'm going to have 70 people here. I'm going to be with great partners like Donegal and Eclipse. That makes it special for me. Win or lose we're going to have a great time."
