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Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire

Michael Repole is a Thoroughbred owner based in New York. The list of big-name horses he’s owned is impressive. Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty, Forte and Fierceness, to name a few. He also tends to hire the best in the business, such as Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, to take care of his horses.

Over the years he’s been a vocal critic of the sport of horse racing, voicing his personal concerns with how the industry conducts itself and the problems that now plague the sport. But this is where Repole separates himself from the rest of the movers and shakers in horse racing. Repole is willing to put his money where his mouth is.

Take for instance the state of California racing. The number of horses racing in the Golden State has been declining for years. Repole recognizes that California racing is paramount to the health of racing overall in the U.S. So this summer he shipped a string of horses out west.

“I’m concerned about California racing,” Repole said. “I feel if you care about this sport nationally, and not just in the state of Kentucky, you should try to do your best. So I’m spreading horses out. I sent horses to Michael McCarthy, who I’ve known for a long time.”

He’s sending good, talented horses. His filly Pushiness was the favorite in last week’s Betty Grable.

“I’m going to send more,” Repole said. “I’m sending horses to Canada, Florida and Kentucky. I’m buying horses overseas. I’m just enjoying the game. I’ve been more vocal than usual and I’ve always been vocal. I want to wake people up.”

Ten years ago Repole came to California for the first time. When he’s on the West Coast he spends most of his time at Santa Anita or Del Mar.

“Racing needs to be in California,” Repole said. “You’re not a national sport if you’re not in California. The most important initiative is Thoroughbred aftercare and after that it’s saving and growing California racing. It’s not like if California goes, we get more shares. If California goes, we all lose.”

Repole is calling himself “the commissioner” these days, a nickname he gave himself when he started crusading for reforms in racing.

“We’ve been identifying the problems for 15 years,” Repole said. “I’m trying to get a little more urgency, a call to action. I’ve spoken to Belinda (Stronach) and Aidan (Butler at Santa Anita); I’ve spoken to Bob Baffert, Michael McCarthy and other trainers. I’m talking to people on The Jockey Club board, on the Breeders’ Cup board. (Thoroughbred owner) Barbara Banke’s out here, Bill Farish, (David) O’Rourke at Belmont and even Bill (Carstanjen) at Churchill. We have to figure it out because it’s going to hurt them, too.”

Repole said he fell in love with horse racing when he was 13 years old. He bought his first race horse when he was 33. Now he’s 55.

“I’m trying my best to help the next generation,” Repole said. “I’ve gone behind the scenes and asked guys, ‘Hey, why don’t you send some horses here?’ The industry has to get together and try to help each other. There’s no real leadership, no real collaboration, no real alignment.

“What’s happening in California is, I think, what’s happening in the industry for the last 20 years,” Repole continued. ”People have identified the mistakes but no solutions and they keep looking the other way. California is not alone. Florida’s not doing great, New York has its issues. The only state doing well is Kentucky, and I’ve called out Kentucky.”

Many in Kentucky racing circles have dismissed the idea of helping California racing, taking a position of “it’s their problem, not ours.” Repole disagrees.

“Kentucky’s done a lot of great things for racing,” Repole said. “But if it only benefits the state of Kentucky then we’re only going to be racing in the state of Kentucky in the next 10 years. All that purse money is going to go nowhere because there will be no interest.”