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Repole Stable blasted the horse racing industry this week, citing a number of obstacles standing in the way.
Mike Repole owns his namesake stable. His horse Forte won the Florida Derby last year followed by the Breeders Cup Juvenile a few weeks later.
Repole is calling himself 'The Commissioner' these days, a nickname he gave himself when he started crusading for reforms in racing.
“We've been identifying the problems for 15 years,” Repole contends. “I'm trying to get a little more urgency, a call to action.
The following post appeared via X, formerly known as Twitter.
This industry is so f$&ked up.
Where do we start???
California racing is hanging by thread and really getting no industry support.
Trainers that have been ostracized no matter what they do.
Highly successful, wealthy, but non-vocal, soft owners.
A petrified media - beholden to select few advertisers - that don’t address the real issues in this sport.
Passionate gamblers that consistently get screwed and robbed from the industry.
No leadership or governing body.
Tracks that must manage their business in survival mode.
Creating a playground for liars and cheaters at every level of this game.
Novice owners flying private to Japan to hand out t-shirts thinking they’ve saved the game instead of focusing on actually fixing it.
Selfish stallion farms - while at the same time, our top mares end up having foals internationally.
Racing syndicates that overcharge customers.
No marketing and no positive PR.
Forced government bureaucracy because of three decades of no leadership and lack of vision.
Non-transparent, non-trustworthy sales companies
And…
The most embarrassing, disappointing, unacceptable aftercare funding system.
That the TAA was ONLY able to raise $4.1 million when some individual horses SELL for more than that, and we have races with higher purses than an entire year of funding, is completely demoralizing.
We all say we care, and then 99% of us do nothing.
TAA - can you release every organization, every track, every stallion farm, every sales company, every owner and their contributions???
I’m sure I have probably donated close to 5%-10% of this with numerous additional donations to other aftercare groups like New Vocations, Old Friends and many more. Also, add in donations to improving backstretch conditions for workers, the PDJF, Stable Recovery, etc.
We NEED a funding model across this multi-multi-multi billion dollar sport, that not only meets the needs of all of these groups, but ensures a brighter future too.
I apologize for the long Repole vent…
Love me, thank you.
Like me, thank you.
Hate me, thank you.
Do you agree or disagree with me???
Thoughts??? Questions???Comments??? Concerns???
This industry is so f$&ked up.
— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) November 26, 2024
Where do we start???
California racing is hanging by thread and really getting no industry support.
Trainers that have been ostracized no matter what they do.
Highly successful, wealthy, but non-vocal, soft owners.
A petrified media - beholden…
Erin O'Keefe, Farm Manager & Bloodstock Services BTE Stables, chimed in.
When identifying problems in this industry, it’s important to be willing to directly call things out and name names. It’s more important to look to your own actions and identify where you can be a force of change.
Notice @RepoleStable
calls out a lot of issues, but only his actions about one of them.
So yes “commish”, I have a few questions (not that I expect an answer):
You bemoan “petrified media”, as though you haven’t called for advertisers to pull support from an industry publication.
You complain about unnamed “novice owners” (though we all know who you’re talking about), but also complain about owners not doing anything. So is your action the only kind that’s worthwhile? What’s wrong with an owner that wants to increase fan engagement and enthusiasm for racing?
What about “selfish stallion farms”? Are you still doing business with them?
Regarding your claim on a lack of “positive PR”, I encourage you to educate yourself about the mission of Light Up Racing
“Non-transparent, non-trustworthy sales companies” do you still buy and sell with them? Do you plan to take action to improve the conditions you find so problematic?
And finally, regarding aftercare, I’ll ask the same question I have before. What is the Repole Stables aftercare strategy for the horses in your stable? Not how many dollars have you donated to solve the problem, how are you making sure to not be an increased burden on a strained aftercare safety net?
When identifying problems in this industry, it’s important to be willing to directly call things out and name names. It’s more important to look to your own actions and identify where you can be a force of change.
— Erin O'Keefe (@btestables_erin) November 26, 2024
Notice @RepoleStable calls out a lot of issues, but only his… https://t.co/WBLnLBDPqP
Our friend Michael Dempsey, Chief Operating Officer at Iron Bets, had this to add:
Looking forward to seeing people like @btestables_erin and @jstewartrr improve the industry. They both seem to have the fierceness to get it done.
Looking forward to seeing people like @btestables_erin and @jstewartrr improve the industry. They both seem to have the fierceness to get it done. https://t.co/0eCE4GmSHb
— Michael Dempsey (@turfmichaeld) November 27, 2024
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