A high-stakes row has erupted in the horse racing world, pitting two of the sport’s most lavish spenders against each other. John Stewart, a tycoon with a private equity background, made a spectacular debut on the racehorse ownership scene last year, splashing out a hefty £20million at the Keeneland Sales.
The ex-Toyota assembly line worker is on a mission to build the finest broodmare collection for his Resolute Racing enterprise and isn’t shy about it on social media – where he has been seen trading quips with Mike Repole, a titan in American horse racing.
Repole, who pocketed a staggering £7.6billion after selling his drinks ventures VitaminWater and Bodyarmor to Coca Cola, boasts an impressive track record with champions like Uncle Mo, Forte, Nest, and Fierceness, the latter being the hot favourite for this month’s Kentucky Derby.
Last year saw Repole launch the National Thoroughbred Alliance, crowning himself commissioner in a move to bring unity to the sport’s divided ranks. Never one to mince his words, Repole didn’t hold back when Stewart suggested that no single individual could fix racing’s woes, branding him an “arrogant, free spending new kid on the block” and a “shallow rich guy.”
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