This year, owner Mike Repole teamed with partners to run 1-2 in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) with Mo Donegal and Nest. He bought a minority interest in Mo Donegal this spring from Donegal Racing, and Nest he has campaigned to multiple grade 1-winning achievements with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House.
On Sept. 13 at Keeneland during the September Yearling Sale, he put further equine partnerships in action, buying six prospects with other owners and adding five on his own, with West Bloodstock representing his Repole Stables. His two priciest buys both went for $1.1 million: a Curlin colt (Hip 369), purchased in tandem with the Coolmore-affiliated M.V. Magnier, and a City of Light colt (Hip 364) with St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds.
The City of Light colt's pedigree had numerous draws to Repole, who said he is a shareholder in the sire.
"I think City of Light is gonna be a two-turn, classic stallion," Repole said of the fourth-ranked first-crop sire.
Bred by her consignor, Rosilyn Polan (Sunday Morning Farm), out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Numero d'Oro, Hip 364 is also a half brother to Wit (Practical Joke ), a multiple-surface stakes winner for Repole Stable, Vinny Viola's St. Elias Stable, and Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable.
Winner of the 2021 Sanford Stakes (G3) and Bay Shore Stakes (G3) on dirt, Wit most recently took the Better Talk Now Stakes on grass at Saratoga Race Course for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Repole's regular trainer and close friend.
He likes to call upon Pletcher's experience, with the trainer having often worked with sires, dams, and their produce.
"When we look at families and siblings, there are certain things we feel that are a little bit of an advantage because he trained either the stallion, or half brother, or half sister," Repole said. "But it doesn't seem like much of a secret because they all go for over $800,000, so I think everyone has started to figure it out."
For portions of the day Tuesday, Pletcher was seated near Repole in the Keeneland sales area, along with other advisers such as Jacob West and Danielle Bricker. Ed Rosen and Jim Martin are other respected members of Repole's equine consulting team.
Pletcher trained the Orb mare Orbolution, the dam of Hip 369. She won the 2017 P.G. Johnson Stakes at 2 at Saratoga and later became graded-placed in the Miss Grillo Stakes (G3T).
Her Curlin youngster, bred and consigned by Hinkle Farms, is a "really nice colt," Repole said.
"Coolmore and I do some business together," he added. "We both landed on the same one; we both like using Todd Pletcher."
Hip 336, an Omaha Beach colt out of stakes-winning Lookin At Lucky mare Maybellene sold by breeder Clarkland Farm, was the most expensive of Repole's purchases without partners, secured for $900,000.
Other buys, either solely or in partnership, for Repole Stable included Hip 370 ($775,000), Hip 279 ($475,000), Hip 275 ($475,000), Hip 240 ($400,000), Hip 290 ($320,000), Hip 332 ($285,000), Hip 264 ($250,000), and Hip 307 ($230,000).
Repole credited his bloodstock team, noting their early arrivals on the grounds last week in addition to their summer scouting of yearlings at farms.
"I'd like to say I have the easy part, just bidding, but the more that I think about it, I actually have the toughest part, and they have it easy," he said. "But they put a lot of time and effort into it."
