Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (Grade 1)

MIKE Repole and Bobby Flay met at the edge of the paddock, waiting for the last of the Belmont Stakes runners and outriders to make their way through the tunnel to the main track at Belmont Park.

Flay, a globally known celebrity chef blessed with a fair share of good fortune lately in racing and Repole, a hugely successful businessman behind the Vitaminwater and Pirate’s Booty companies who hasn’t forgotten his roots and still calls himself ‘Mike from Queens’, embraced and wished each other luck in last Saturday’s 154th Belmont Stakes.

Repole owned an interest in two of the field’s eight runners – Wood Memorial Stakes winner Mo Donegal and Ashland Stakes winner and Kentucky Oaks runner-up Nest – to Flay’s recently acquired minority piece in morning-line favourite We the People. Ever the hustler, Repole still wanted an edge.

“Thanks, good luck,” Repole told Flay. “You’ve won it before. Nothing against you, but let me win one, would you?”

Both chuckled on their way up to the owners’ boxes, knowing full well whatever they wanted didn’t amount to anything considering it was the 12 furlongs of the Belmont that would determine everything.

Smooth trip

The Belmont went Repole’s way anyway, as Mo Donegal enjoyed a smooth trip on the way to a three-length victory over Nest in front of 46,301 as the 5/2 post-time favourite.

Repole bought an interest in Mo Donegal from Jerry Crawford’s Donegal Racing a week before the May 7th Kentucky Derby, where he finished fifth after a troubled trip from post one in the field of 20. He and Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners teamed to buy Nest for US$350,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The riders of Mo Donegal and Nest, brothers Irad Ortiz Jr. and Jose Ortiz, wore his blue and orange colours to their one-two finish in the Belmont for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Dream

“It’s a 40-year dream,” said Repole, winning his first Belmont after finishing second in 2011 with Stay Thirsty. “Coming to this track and Aqueduct, being a kid from New York, this is New York’s race. In 2011, I came in second with Stay Thirsty and I watched the replay 150 times. I will no longer watch that replay. Getting a first and second here, it makes up for it. This was the biggest goal of my racing life, and I just accomplished it and I ran one-two.

“I used to cut out of school and it made me an entrepreneur. I used to bet $20 and that’s a lot of pressure when you had to pay back your parents. I’m always going to be ‘Mike from Queens’.

“This is New York’s biggest race and to win it here, with my family and friends and 70 people here, this will be a big winner’s circle. Trained by Todd Pletcher, who is such a great friend, and with Jerry Crawford and Donegal Racing; success is best when shared.”

Uncle Mo

The victory not only avenged that loss with Stay Thirsty in 2011 it gave Uncle Mo, who Repole and Pletcher campaigned to a champion two-year-old title in 2010, a second classic winner after 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. Uncle Mo stands for $160,000 at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, and Repole remains his biggest supporter.

“To win it with a son of Uncle Mo. Todd always said he was one of the most talented horses he’s ever had. You can only be three years old in May or June once in your life. For my silks, for a horse named ‘Mo,’ by Uncle Mo, it’s pretty special.”

Pletcher won his fourth Belmont in a familiar way, using the five weeks between the first and final jewel of the Triple Crown season to sharpen his weapons from his home base at Belmont Park. Three of his Belmont winners came out of the Kentucky Derby – Tapwrit (sixth), Palace Malice (12th) and now Mo Donegal – while Rags To Riches won the Kentucky Oaks before defeating Curlin in her historic score in 2007.

Hometown race

“First of all, it’s our family’s favourite race,” said Pletcher, now tied with his mentor D. Wayne Lukas, Max Hirsch and R.W. Walden for fifth most Belmont Stakes victories. “Our kids grew up here and went to school here and we’ve always felt like it’s our hometown race.

“When we’re fortunate enough to win it, it adds some specialness to it. That hometown feel. That part of it is really cool. Also, just the mile-and-a-half challenge is something we’ve been fortunate enough to do well at. It’s the ‘Test of the Champion,’ so to be fortunate enough to win it four times and with some five, six seconds with some pretty nasty beats, too, is very special. It’s been fun.”

Irad Ortiz enjoyed the ride far more than the trip Mo Donegal endured in Louisville. They broke from the rail that day and after coming away a beat slow, quickly found themselves in last place and even behind eventual 80/1 winner Rich Strike. Mo Donegal eventually regrouped enough to pass tiring rivals while going extremely wide into the stretch to finish fifth, beaten only three and three-quarter lengths by Rich Strike.

Pletcher didn’t even consider the Preakness – he often skips the trip to Baltimore with his top sophomores – and tuned Mo Donegal up with three breezes in company with Nest on Belmont’s training track leading up the one-and-a-half-mile closing classic.

Tight group

Mo Donegal came away clean in the Belmont and Ortiz settled toward the back of the tight group as We The People and Flavien Prat led through moderate early splits of 23.99, 48.49 and 1:13.23. Mo Donegal advanced up the fourth by the one-mile mark and as the field headed into the far turn, with We The People leading Skippylongstocking and Nest around the bend.

Ortiz guided Mo Donegal into the four-path approaching the straight and they passed the pacesetter with no resistance, opening up by three lengths.

Nest, whose stumble at the start almost mirrored that of Rags To Riches in 2007, continued on through the lane but couldn’t get within three of her stablemate inside the final furlong. Mo Donegal won in 2:28.28, significantly faster than the 2:30.45 his older stablemate Fearless needed to get his 12 furlongs in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes six races prior.