Partnerships the norm

New Yorkers Vinnie Viola and Repole co-own Wood Memorial winner Vino Rosso, and their union is the norm rather than the exception for Kentucky Derby horses in 2018. Scan the connections for these big-ticket animals, and it’s hard to find one owned by a single farm or family.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a different world, Vinnie Viola and Mike Repole might clash — two New York guys who made fortunes based on their outsized personalities and aggressive instincts.

In the realm of high-stakes thoroughbred racing, they’re partners.

Viola and Repole co-own Wood Memorial winner Vino Rosso, and their union is the norm rather than the exception for Kentucky Derby horses in 2018. Scan the connections for these big-ticket animals, and it’s hard to find one owned by a single farm or family. Partnerships are the name of the game.

“This game, this sport, is the most humbling challenge a person can take on. It only helps when you’ve got a partner who is also as passionately engaged in the sport as you are,” said Viola, who coowned 2017 Derby champion Always Dreaming with another longtime New York racing fan, Anthony Bonomo.

Even with two high-powered businessmen from different worlds, the potential points of disagreement are few, especially if the partners share a relationship with a prominent trainer, as Repole and Viola do with Todd Pletcher.

“I mean, the biggest decision you make, once you buy the horse, is who you send it to to train,” said Viola, who earned his fortune in the financial services industry. “And we’re both Todd guys. So that’s like 90 percent of it. I’m sure there are scenarios where Mike and I might look at each other and say, ‘You think this, I think that.’ But it’s pretty easy, and you see that trend happening more and more.”

Repole, who made his fortune in the beverage industry, owns another Derby horse, Noble Indy, in partnership with WinStar Farm. Again, Pletcher is the common link.

He said these pairings simply make sense, given the supply and demand in modern racing.

“There’s a smaller foal crop, and people are either with Chad Brown, they’re with Bob Baffert or they’re with Todd Pletcher,” Repole explained. “I think a lot of times you go to sales and you want the same three horses that are all going to end up going to Todd anyway.

“So you look and say, ‘Hey, we’re bidding on this horse and so are you. I’m going up to ($800,000) and so are you. So why don’t we team up together and get the horse for ($450,000) instead of somebody going to ($810,000).’ I think for me, the common denominator … is I’ll go partners with you but it’s got to be with Todd Pletcher.”

Pletcher is perfectly happy to be the glue in these arrangements. He’ll saddle four horses in today’s Derby, and only one, Magnum Moon, is owned by a single family.

No one’s complaining about having to share.