Vino Rosso represents new strategy for Repole

Mike Repole has seen the change in the Thoroughbred ownership game over the last several years, and instead of trying to fight it, he’s embraced it.

In recent years, some of the more high-profile owners in the game have joined forces when it comes obtaining or campaigning horses. Gun Runner, last year’s Horse of the Year, was owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm; Tapwrit, last year’s Belmont Stakes winner, was owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Bridlewood Farm. WinStar Farm has partnered with China Horse Club, SF Racing, and others on several horses, including Florida Derby winner Audible and the exciting 3-year-old Justify.

“Big-owner partnerships are the new wave, so I think if you want to get to the big races you end up doing it,” Repole said. “Sometimes you double your chances; maybe own 20 horses at 50 percent instead of 10 at 100 percent.”

Repole by himself campaigned Grade 1 winners Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty, and Outwork. In recent years, though, he has partnered up with the likes of Eclipse, WinStar, and Vinnie Viola to get horses.

From WinStar Farm, Repole bought into Noble Indy after that colt’s first start. Noble Indy is headed to the Kentucky Derby following his recent victory in the Louisiana Derby.

Saturday, Repole hopes to have another horse qualify for the Derby when he sends out Vino Rosso in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Vino Rosso, a son of Curlin, is a horse Repole and Viola – part-owner of 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming – purchased for $410,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September sale. At that same sale, they purchased an Uncle Mo colt, whom they named Life’s a Parlay, for $725,000. Life’s a Parlay won a maiden race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27 but has since been sidelined due to injury.

“Vinnie and I have bought yearlings the last couple of years at Keeneland, a couple of horses that didn’t run well so nobody really knew about it,” Repole said. “He’s been using Todd [Pletcher] a lot, I always use Todd, so it made a lot of sense.”

Pletcher is a two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer who has three prospects – Audible, Noble Indy, and Magnum Moon – qualified for this year’s race. Pletcher has worked Vino Rosso with all three of those horses and Vino Rosso has been equally as good. In fact, on March 24 Vino Rosso easily outworked Audible, who won Saturday’s Florida Derby by three lengths.

“In the morning he indicates he’s at the same level as they are, but now he’s got to prove it in the race,” Pletcher said.

Vino Rosso won both of his starts at age 2, including a debut victory at Aqueduct last November. But in his two starts at age 3, Vino Rosso has faltered, finishing third in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs and fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby.

“He ran the turn poorly in both races at Tampa, then re-rallied and finished decently and galloped out in front,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher put blinkers on Vino Rosso for the Tampa Bay Derby, but didn’t see much difference in the colt’s performance compared to the Sam F. Davis. Pletcher has worked Vino Rosso without blinkers and was contemplating removing them for the Wood.

Repole said he’s been getting rave reviews about Vino Rosso from Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez all winter long.

“I find it hard to believe Johnny and Todd are both going to be wrong about the horse,” Repole said. “I’m going to try and move the Wood to 8:30 in the morning because he’s undefeated before 10. He had two races at Tampa that were almost identical: he got to that far turn and started spinning his wheels.

“We’re going to feel really good until he hits that far turn at Aqueduct. If he goes out there and wins by three, nobody is going to be surprised, and if he runs third by six, nobody’s going to be surprised, either.”

For Repole, the consummate New Yorker, the Belmont Stakes still remains his top goal. But, he holds the proper respect for the Kentucky Derby. He has participated in the race three times, finishing 12th in 2011 with Stay Thirsty, 11th in 2013 with Overanalyze, and 14th in 2016 with Outwork, who won that year’s Wood Memorial.

“Maybe we’ll break the top 10 one year,” Repole said. “To me it’s a little bit like the Final Four – if you make it, it’s special. Of course you want to win it – it’s a festival. You have to qualify for the Derby, you can’t just enter like another race. There’s something a little more special about qualifying.”