The USA Interviews - Ep 1 Mike Repole

DURING THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS, I’LL BE TALKING TO THIOSE WHO LEAD
AND THOSE WHO ASPIRE TO LEAD, AS THE AMERICAN HORSERACING INDUSTRY
ENGAGES IN THE MOST CRITICAL BATTLE OF IDEAS IN ITS HISTORY. WHO IS
BEST PLACED TO STEER THIS SHIP THROUGH THE CHOPPY WATERS? WHO HAS
THE VISION, THE SKILL, THE INTEGRITY, THE WHEREWITHAL TO KEEP HORSE
RACING RELEVANT AND TO MAKE US CARE? MY FIRST GUEST IS, BY HIS OWN
ADMISSION, A DISRUPTOR. A SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE WHO GREW UP IN
QUEEN’S, HE HAS BEEN A RACING FAN SINCE HIS TEENS. AS HIS BUSINESS
CAREER DEVELOPED, SO DID HIS OWNERSHIP POTRFOLIO… CHAMPION JUVENILE
UNCLE MO WAS THE FIRST SUPERSTAR, INFAMOUSLY SCRATCHED FROM THE
DERBY THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE, A FATE THAT WAS TO SPOOKILY BEFALL
THE OWNER LAST YEAR, AS HOT FAVOURITE FORTE CONTROVERSIALLY FELL
FOUL OF VETERINARY CHECKS AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR. THERE HAVE,
HOWEVER, BEEN MANY HIGHS, COURTESY OF BC CLASSIC WINNER VINO ROSSO,
AND BELMONT 1-2 MO DONEGAL AND NEST IN HIS OWN BACK YARD. HE NOW
HAS CHAMPION JUVENILE ELECT FIERCENESS AS HE BIDS TO LAY HIS DERBY
GHOST. BUT MIKE REPOLE ISN’T HAPPY WITH THE INDUSTRY - “THERE ISN’T
ANYTHING IN THIS SPORT THAT IS GOOD AT THE MOMENT,” HE TOLD ME ON
NBC LAST FALL “I BLAME MYSELF - IN ANY OTHER SPORT, THE OWNERS TAKE
CONTROL - HERE WE LET THE RACETRACKS DO IT FOR US” TO THAT END,
HE’S BECOME THE SELF-APPOINTED CHAMPION OF THE HORSEMEN -CREATING
THE NATIONAL THOROUGHBRED ALLIANCE, WITH HIM AS THE CHAIR AND
RESPECTED INDUSTRY FIGURE AND PUNTER’S ADVOCATE PAT CUMMINGS AT HIS
SIDE. “HOW DO WE SAVE HORSE RACING,” SAYS REPOLE, “THIS IS IT…”