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Beverage Baron Repole Seeks to Quench Derby Thirst With Forte

eric jackson
·5 min read

(Editor’s note: After a Saturday morning workout, Forte was scratched from the Derby by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarian.)

Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Mike Repole embraces this fact.

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That’s one of the reasons he’s soaking up this Kentucky Derby weekend in Louisville, where he’ll be joined by dozens of his close friends and family members, including his parents, Benny and Annie; Maria, his wife of 20 years; and his 7-year-old daughter, Gioia. They’re all there to support Repole in his quest to win the Derby, a feat that has eluded him seven times.

Repole, a savvy beverage entrepreneur known for co-founding Glaceau and BodyArmor, likes his odds to snap his losing streak on Saturday. He co-owns Forte, which heads into the weekend at the top of the Derby leaderboard with 190 points. Forte is a 3-1 favorite to win the 149th run for the roses, according to oddsmakers.

Forte, trained by Todd Pletcher, has won six of his last seven starts including last month’s win at the Florida Derby. The brown colt, which was sired by Violence out of the Blame mare Queen Caroline, will come out of the No. 15 gate and aims to become the third Breeder’s Cup juvenile winner to win the Derby.

“He deserves to be the Derby favorite,” Repole said in a phone interview. “When you’re around him like we’ve been this week, you see he’s so focused and confident. I wouldn’t want to trade horses with anybody right now.”

Repole is known as a success story in the beverage business, selling two startup brands for billions. He sold Glaceau, the maker of Vitaminwater and Smartwater, for $4 billion to Coca Cola Co. in 2007, and sold the entirety of BodyArmor to Coca-Cola Co. for $5.6 billion in 2011. The businessman first opened Repole Stable in 2005 with one horse, and with the extra bankroll, he’s since made strides over the last decade in the competitive racing business.

This week is a culmination of sorts for Repole, whose passion for horse racing started as a 13-year-old growing up in the Middle Village neighborhood of Queens, N.Y. He would sneak out, unbeknownst to his mother, Annie, to Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens or the off-track betting parlor on Grand Avenue.

“I dreamed about being in this situation,” he said. “And being a kid from Queens, I probably should’ve never been to the state of Kentucky, never mind having a Kentucky Derby favorite. I’m feeling those emotions.”

Racehorses from Repole Stable have won several major races over the years, including Vino Russo in the 2019 Breeder’s Cup Classic. He checked off a bucket-list moment when he won the Belmont Stakes last year with the now-retired Mo Donegal, which he co-owns with Jerry Crawford of Donegal Racing. (Mo Donegal finished fifth at last year’s Kentucky Derby, won by Rich Strike.)

Since the sale of BodyArmor, Repole remains busy with other businesses through his family office and other initiatives. But he has a more flexible schedule, giving him not only more time to spend with his daughter but also more time to evaluate horses. Recently, he has visited tracks from Belmont to Saratoga, getting a better sense of business and what best resources to invest in.

Repole admits he didn’t quite know what he was getting when he and Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola (owner of St. Elias Stable) bought Forte for $110,000 in 2021. After all, he has bought dozens of horses over the years—some winners and some losers. Repole, a St. John’s University alum and major booster, says while predicting the next great winner is difficult, eyeing pedigree and confirmation are helpful. He compares it to how a pro sports team general manager struggles to identify the next Kobe Bryant or Tom Brady.

“It really comes down to the intangibles that you can’t measure,” he said. “Brain, heart and passion. This horse has it all … He loves to train and compete, and he loves to win.”

Uncle Mo, sire of Mo Donegal, also had the intangibles. The now-retired horse was a favorite heading into the 2011 Derby but was scratched on race day due to a rare liver ailment. It was a low moment for Repole, but he says it prepared him for anything in the business. The unfortunate situation also brought him closer to his camp, specifically Pletcher, his trainer.

“I was worried about [Todd] and Uncle Mo, but he was worried about me and Uncle Mo,” he said. “A lot of people can be friends during the great times, in the winner’s circle, but when you can form a great relationship through adversity, you see a side of people that you didn’t expect.”

Despite the trials and tribulations of the racing business, Repole remains motivated as he looks to add a Derby crown to his resume. Repole and Vincent have a chance to reel in $1.8 million (with Pletcher taking a 10% cut) if they win it all. But it’s not about the money for Repole. It’s not even about bragging rights, he says; It’s about passion.

“If we win this, it’s going to be great, if we lose, it’s going to be great,” he said. “We have 75 people coming down here and we’re going to have a celebration. It’s Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. If it comes with a win, it’s going to make everything even greater.”

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