Repole Breaks Through Competitive Keeneland Market

Over the last few years, owner/breeder Mike Repole has been one of the most vocal advocates for change within the Thoroughbred industry. Through the first book of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, he's put his money where his mouth is in support of the game. "He's one of those people: he's not going to back down from a challenge," said his bloodstock agent, Jacob West. "It's Mike's mode of operation; he comes here and supports the sales." That support led to impressive numbers in a market that was praised for its competitiveness by buyers and sellers throughout the opening sessions. During the second session Sept. 9, Repole Stable led the leaderboard with 14 horses purchased for $8,225,000. The next-highest buyers by gross purchases were AMO Racing and Bradley Thoroughbreds as agent, which acquired four horses each. Repole nearly doubled AMO's $4.2 million spent. "We struck early and struck often," West said. "When you're buying as many horses as he is, it's spread over a broad spectrum. We stretched on some, and we felt like we got value on other ones." Repole's purchases ranged from $200,000 spent on Hip 229, an Uncle Mo half brother to multiple grade 1 winner Carl Spackler (IRE), and $1.5 million spent on Hip 278, a Gun Runner colt out of multiple grade 1 winner Cavorting. Both were consigned by Indian Creek. The $1.5 million colt bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings is a half brother to multiple grade 1 winner Clairiere (Curlin), stakes winner La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro), and multiple graded stakes-placed Judge Miller (Curlin). Cavorting also produced the Curlin colt Courting, who topped last year's Keeneland sale at $5 million when sold to Whisper Hill Farm out of the Indian Creek consignment. He's been working steadily at Saratoga Race Course since the end of July. "He was just a beautiful, well-made horse. Very much like his sire," West said of the son of Gun Runner. "He had an incredibly athletic walk. Just a very nice horse, and we were happy to get him." Repole also purchased three additional horses for $1 million each: Hip 196, an Indian Creek-consigned Good Magic colt out of a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Takeover Target and to Ladies' Privilege, who is the stakes-winning dam of Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner More Than Looks; Hip 197, a Taylor Made Sales Agency-consigned Not This Time filly who is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Skippylongstocking and stakes winners Olivia Twist and Moonlite Strike; and, Hip 266, a Warrendale Sales-consigned Nyquist half brother to stakes winner Diamond City and grade 2-placed Barista. Repole bought Hip 266 in partnership with St. Elias Stables. Despite their success, West joked that they were still an underbidder more often than the buyer, crediting the strong market and purse structures in several states across the country. "Everybody seemed like they were reaching a little bit on the good ones, and there was value to be had on some of the other ones," West said. "We have less horses than we've had in a long time in America running for more money than we've ever had on offer. The economics of horse racing right now are very strong. You can earn back a lot of your purchase price." The strong second day brought Repole's Book 1 total to 24 horses purchased for $12.3 million, including the Nyquist colt bought with St. Elias Stables.