Solis and Litt Join Growing Repole Team

Alex Solis II and Jason Litt, who operate the Solis/Litt bloodstock agency, have joined forces with owner Mike Repole, who has continued to add to his team as both his stable and his goals have grown in recent years. Repole, who owns many horses in partnership with Vinnie Viola, has about 300 horses and has been very active in recent years at the yearling sales.

“I am all about family and friends,” Repole said. “Over the last couple of years they've been helping me out with some yearlings and colts and they have a great opinion. I am a 'dream-bigger' type of guy. I won eight Grade Is in 2022, so this year I want to win nine. The next year I want to win 10. Bringing Alex and Jason on board is part of that vision.”

As part of the transition, Solis has stepped down from his full-time role as Gainesway Farm's Director of Bloodstock but will continue his relationship with the farm. Solis and Litt's agency will also continue to work with existing clients.

As Repole has doubled the number of horses in his stable over the last two years he has assembled a deep group of advisors who assist him in a number of areas, including yearling purchases and the overwhelming daily task of running such a large stable. The team includes Ed Rosen, Jim Martin, Danielle Bricker, Jacob West and Todd Pletcher. Solis and Litt will advise the growing stable and assist in acquisitions and management, but will be called upon to contribute in other areas.

“When you double the number of horses you own, yes, you need more people,” Repole said. “I am trying to build a bigger vision and a bigger strategy. I want to get more involved in racing as a sport, not just with Repole Stables. I want people with the experience Alex and Jason have. They have tremendous vision for the sport and share the same excitement I have for the sport and the same frustrations.

“Part of the evolution of growing your brand comes from hiring a bunch of smart people who have a ton of passion and are coachable and have the same vision you have. Who knows; maybe Jason will become the VP of global and I'll buy two racetracks and Alex will run them. I have no idea.”

Solis and Litt have been together since the early 2000s and have worked for many of the top names in the sport, including LNJ Foxwoods, which campaigned top older male dirt horse Olympiad (Speightstown). Other horses they have been involved with include Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}), Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast), Country House (Lookin At Lucky) and Covfefe (Into Mischief). Their team also includes Madison Scott.

“Mike has gone from 150 to 300 horses and wanted to take advantage of Solis/Litt's experience managing large portfolios,” Solis said. “We've helped Mike for the last couple of years at yearling sales, and it's exciting to start in a more prominent role. It's been a seamless transition working with his existing team…Mike is big on relationships and family, and so are we. Jason and I have been

working together for 17 years and the majority of our clients have been with us since the beginning. Maintaining those ties is of utmost importance, which Mike fully embraces. It was great to be able to partner with him and our major client, LNJ Foxwoods, on two yearlings in September.”

Repole Stable enjoyed a banner year in 2022, campaigning Grade I winners Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), Forte (Violence) and Nest (Curlin). Forte and Nest are expected to be named Eclipse Award winners. With most any other stable, 2022 would have been a year that cannot be topped. But Repole has never hid his ambitions and won't set a ceiling when it comes to his stable's success.

“I'm not always content,” Repole said. “I talk to somebody like Tom Brady and ask him what his favorite Super Bowl was and he says it's the next one. I am ecstatic and feel blessed about where we are but I have goals. What's wrong with trying to get better?”

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Competitive Filly Sprinters Kick Off Spa Juvenile Action

5th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 3:21 p.m. ET

Split divisions of juvenile filly sprinters get the Saratoga baby race season underway on opening day Thursday, with this latter half appearing to be clearly the saltier spot on paper. Heads turned when a filly by thus-far unheralded freshman sire Valiant Minister hammered for $360,000–120 times the Bridlewood Farm resident's stud fee–at OBS April, but one viewing of OUTFOXED's breeze-show effort quickly explains why. The dark bay barreled through a powerful :20 4/5 quarter-mile work, sparking a bidding war that ended with Solis/Litt as the last entity standing on behalf of LNJ Foxwoods. The Bill Mott trainee shows a modest local worktab, but did work a half-mile in :49 flat (3/12) from the gate on the Oklahoma training track June 25. Two other debutantes have live looks in Solasta (Goldencents) and Echo Zulu (Gun Runner). The former, owned by Jeff Drown and Don Rachel, is a half-sister to GISW Mia Mischief who cost $300,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling buy. The bay has breezed sharply for Jeremiah Englehart, including a best-of-31 bullet half-mile from the gate over this strip in :47 3/5 July 1. The latter, who goes out for L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds, is a half to last summer's GI H. Allen Jerkens S. hero Echo Town (Speightstown) and GSW J Boys Echo (Mineshaft). She sports a four-furlong gate bullet of her own, going the distance in :47 2/5 (1/44) June 15 at Keeneland. One of only two horses in the 10-horse group with racing experience, Pop-A-Top's Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) gets the slight nod on the morning line at 5-2 after showing good speed and finishing a clear second for Brad Cox in the opener June 4 at Churchill. TJCIS PPs

@JBiancaTDN

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Jason Litt: Why I Left the KTA

It's no secret the horse industry is struggling. But like any good optimist, I'm always open to new ideas. I recently read Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. The oversimplified concept of the book is how understanding your 'why' can contribute to your success.

This is my 'why' I chose a career in horse racing.

I love horses. From the unbelievable softness of a newborn foal to the rippling musculature of a stallion, they are majestic.

As an agent, breeder and owner, I enjoy being a custodian of the breed–a breed of horse that's over 300 years old, a breed that is noble, intelligent, honest and highly competitive. I often remind myself that it's a privilege, not a right, to be a part of the Thoroughbred horse racing industry. I've been fortunate over the last 20 years to work with amazingly talented horses, including some champions. I love the notion that 50 years from now, some of the horses I've been involved with may continue to have an impact on the breed.

I love competition. In 1999, I visited Keeneland for the first time for the September yearling sale with my father, Howard Litt. My father loved the sport. He loved the Damon Runyon-style characters that exist in every racetrack ecosystem, and he loved the mental gymnastics required in handicapping and athleticism of the horses. He sparked my competitive spirit when he made the statement as we were watching horses go through the ring, “Wouldn't it be cool if out of all of these horses you could pick a good one?”

Simply put, horse racing is hard. The lows of the game can deflate the most optimistic of individuals. We've all experienced hot nails, quarter cracks, spiked temps, colic, skin disease and failed fence jumpers, yet we are all bound by our persistence, determination and staying power. There is nothing more gratifying and fulfilling than winning a race and sharing that sense of accomplishment with a group of owners, friends and colleagues. Watching the replay on a continuous loop and recapping every nuance of the race with anyone that will listen isn't bad, either.

I hope you have an understanding of my 'why.' When I joined the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association three years ago, I was open-minded and excited about making a difference. Unfortunately, the gap between my 'why' and that of the KTA is too large to bridge, and therefore I am stepping down as a Director and making my reasons public. It's never too late to learn from our mistakes, hold people accountable for their actions or lack thereof and to embrace bold ideas.

Unfortunately, the recent events regarding HHR show how unprepared the organization has been to address an issue that has been working through the courts for over seven years. There is no disputing how important the revenue from HHR has become to the health of our industry. It is the KTA's role that all members in the assembly understand and appreciate the importance of our industry to both Kentucky's economy and image. The fact that there has never been a successfully organized KTA effort to educate legislators or develop a plan to support the election of legislators that will have a favorable perception of our industry is shocking.

I can no longer in good faith be associated with an organization that has been caught so unprepared to take a stand to protect the Kentucky Thoroughbred and all the jobs associated with this industry.

Sincerely,

Jason Litt

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