Mike Repole didn't win the Kentucky Derby. Again. For the 12th time, the Queens-born entrepreneur watched his horse fall just short of glory. But what happened next showed UFL fans exactly why this serial entrepreneur — who built Smartwater and Vitaminwater into billion-dollar brands — deserves respect far beyond the business world.
Instead of sulking or pointing fingers, Repole immediately sought out jockey Irad Ortiz to console him. The moment captured on camera showed a billionaire embracing a young rider, telling him what a tremendous job he'd done despite coming up short at the wire.
The Mike from Queens Philosophy
"I'm always gonna be Mike from Queens, no matter what I've accomplished," Repole told Megyn Kelly in a recent interview. That mindset — staying grounded despite massive success — is exactly what the UFL needs more of as the league continues building its identity.
Repole's background reads like the American Dream playbook. His father was a French waiter, his mother an Italian seamstress. He shared a bedroom with his brother for 28 years, only getting his own space when his sibling got married first.
"You can never forget where you came from. But not only do I know where I came from, I know where my parents came from and I know where my grandmother came from."
Learning More from Losing
The Derby loss stung. Repole admitted he put his head down for 45 seconds, listening to his family crying around him. His 10-year-old daughter Gioia Mia was in tears. Seventy-five family and friends had watched their champion fall short once again.
But that's when Repole's true character emerged.
"There's no one that loves winning more than me, but no one who accepts and learns from losing more than me," he explained. "I think you actually learn more in losing in life than winning."
That philosophy translates perfectly to football. UFL teams face adversity every week. Players get cut, coaches get fired, seasons end in disappointment. Repole's approach — taking care of your people first, learning from setbacks, staying authentic — offers a blueprint for how organizations should operate.
Building Relationships That Matter
Repole's relationship with the Ortiz brothers goes back years. He's known Irad and Jose since they were teenagers coming up from Puerto Rico. "I always have those kids call me Uncle Mike," he said, explaining why he rushed to comfort Irad after the race.
The same mentality applies to his longtime friends, who recently complained about the food on his private jet. Instead of getting offended, Repole took it as his responsibility to make them happy. "They have to feel, I have to make them happy, man. That's my goal in life."
"Just be yourself. Just be you. We live in a society where we worry more about what people think or what people want us to say. And at the end of the day, I think it's really why we have so many unhappy children, unhappy people. They go through life faking it."
What This Means for Sports Leadership
The UFL is still establishing its culture and identity as a league. Repole's example shows what authentic leadership looks like — not the manufactured corporate speak that dominates too much of professional sports, but genuine care for the people around you.
His advice resonates beyond horse racing: stay true to who you are, learn from losses, and remember that relationships matter more than results. That's the kind of leadership that builds sustainable success, whether you're running a beverage company or a football organization.