Let me preface this piece by saying that I absolutely applaud anyone who goes out and puts their money where the wagers are: ponying up the cash to get involved in the most gut-wrenching, wallet-busting part of this game.
It’s easy to name the celebrities who find fame early and then have an identity crisis some years in. Britney Spears immediately comes to mind, as does her Mickey Mouse Club co-star Christina Aguilera (who waited until she was married with a kid to start acting like the teenager she never got to be). Only Taylor Swift appears to have escaped the spotlight with both her teenage years and sanity intact; though at 22, some would say the jury is still out.
Unless they’re a Kardashian, celebrities have been working on their craft most of their lives and the sudden adulation can be difficult to adjust to. And there can be no denying that we’re seeing this exact same behavior from Mike Repole, owner of Travers winner Stay Thirsty and Kings Bishop runner up (and reigning Juvenile Champion) Uncle Mo.
Mike is a rare breed of horse owner: he invested his billions in the claiming game for many years before ramping up and spending the money to step into graded company. Here is a man who singlehandedly keeps NYRA running over the winter months with his cheaper horses. And for whom that elusive G1 victory didn’t come until late last summer. Plus, he made some fantastic comments about the responsibility of an owner at last year’s Eclipse Awards.
But therein lies the problem. The horse he essentially dubbed the People’s Pony got sick. It was an illness that took time to diagnose and I believe they will look back to realize they handled that situation poorly. But they did the right thing by scratching the horse, sending him to one of the best private rehab facilities around, giving him time and then easing him back into working out.
They could (and, in my mind should) have found a softer spot for him to return to the races, but the horse performed admirably and was beat a whisker by an improving foe. Then, to cap a huge day for the Repole silks, the “little buddy” (who had – in my well documented opinion – no business being on the Derby Trail), comes back and crushes a solid field in the following G1 race.
That’s where it all fell apart. Repole began making statements that reminded me of Courtney Love throwing her makeup mirror to get Madonna’s attention on the MTV red carpet several years ago: a desperate attempt to keep one’s name in the news.
The idea that Uncle Mo finishing second in the Kings Bishop is “the lowest of the lows” in Repole’s racing career is, honestly, his Britney Spears head shaving moment. It’s as if he thought “what’s the single most outlandish thing I can get away with?” And then actually said it. Attention is good, but this kind of attention is not what you want. Barry Irwin made a statement on live television following the Derby that was out of line, but it was the only inappropriate thing he said in that timeframe and it was in response to a question that broke the “never ask what you don’t already know the answer to” rule.
We all say things out of turn and things can be misconstrued or taken out of context. But the point was made and I agree: finishing second in a major stake isn’t low – unless you’re from the Eight Belles camp and have to make a heart-wrenching decision moments after the biggest race of your lives.
Uncle Mo got beat. It sucks. But why not celebrate the fact that, off a four month layoff, your superstar ran his heart out despite being exhausted in the final strides? To call his health into question after the race by saying he may be retired because of “the illness” then further explaining that he doesn’t want the horse to go through that again… that leads any logical person to believe that the horse isn’t 100% healthy. Which should be disclosed before the race, not after (see the post-race disclosure of throat surgery to the $102 winner of the first race on the card for proof).
Mike Repole is the source of much amusement for the Twitterverse. But he’s truly a good guy and he’s great for this game on all levels. He’s just having a very public adjustment to the fame. I would suggest keeping him away from umbrellas, anything that can be used to shave one’s head, and Lindsay Lohan.
Racing doesn’t have a conservatorship program: the worst thing that can happen is for him to burn himself out by trying so hard to be the perfect owner. And, like celebrity or Congress, there is no such thing.
Mike: pull back, grab a Vitamin Water Revive (or two), take a few days with your family, get some perspective and let the horses speak for themselves. The game needs you to hold it together.
