Saratoga Maidens, Presented by Keeneland: Repole’s Pal Part of the Entourage After Final Score’s Win

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS – About 15 minutes after Final Score (Not This Time) won Saratoga's fourth race–a $100,000 maiden special weight–Avery Johnson, who made his bones in another sport, cackled up in the clubhouse.

He had just been part of the entourage of owner Mike Repole, who owns Final Score, a 1 3/4-length winner in the 1 1/16-mile test on the Inner Turf course. Repole is famous for massive winner's circle pictures, but the big dog wasn't in town Sunday, so the group was much more manageable.

Johnson, 60, who spent 16 years in the National Basketball Association, was part of that smiling cluster.

He does not own any horses himself, but he knows Repole, knows him well. He pulled out his phone to prove it. Johnson had just done an interview, along with winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., with NYRA TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale and had retreated out of the hot sun.

Repole had already sent him images off the television feed of his chit-chat with Wolfendale. Johnson smiled some more.

“He is texting me right now,” he said. “He said 'great interview.”

The friendship the two share goes back to 2010 when he was coaching in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets.

“We became friends, and our families have been close ever since then,” Johnson said. “He has been very supportive of my two adult children. We have been to the Breeders' Cup together, the Kentucky Derby, Gulfstream, Aqueduct, Belmont–before it was closed–and here in Saratoga.”

Final Score–an apt name for a basketball guy–gave trainer Todd Pletcher his eighth victory in the maiden special weights.

He started his career with a second-place finish to stablemate Malus (Into Mischief), who beat him by three lengths here on July 13 in a race originally scheduled for turf but moved to the main.

“He showed a little bit of speed going 5 1/2 (in the debut) and we anticipated going long he would be close,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who won his eighth top level maiden special weight race of the meet, said. “You never know in these baby races. You may or may not have the lead. It worked out really nicely and he got a very comfortable pace up front.”

Final Score | Sarah Andrew

Final Score broke to the lead and Ortiz was able to get soft early fractions (24.61, 50.88, 1:16.61) and Final Score had more than enough left for the run to the wire. The 9-5 favorite was too good for runner-up Heeere's Johnny (Oscar Performance), the 5-2 second choice.

He was timed in 1:45.48 and paid $5.60, $3.50 and $2.80.

Final Score had never trained on the grass before, but Pletcher thought he would take to it. His breeding suggested it he would.

Repole bought the colt at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale for $600,000.

Johnson, who calls Dallas home now, said he will be in Saratoga for the next three weeks. He doesn't own any horses but said he grew up with a fascination for the sport.

His father was a fan.

“Instead of throwing the football with my dad, we went to the horse races,” he said. “I have been going to the horse race tracks for 50 years. I know how to read a racing form, Up and down. I have fun with it.”

This year was the 15th that he and his wife Cassandra attended the GI Kentucky Derby. Johnson has also been a Breeders' Cup Ambassador for 10 years. His “day” job also includes being an NBA and college basketball analyst for CBS Sports.

He is also the CEO of Avery Capital, a commercial real estate private equity fund.

He stays busy enough, but also finds time to be involved in racing. Maybe one day he will have his own horses. For now, it's ok to tag along with the Repole crew.

“We are out early in the morning watching the horses work out,” Johnson said. “I get out with my coffee at 5 in the morning. I will go to Todd's barn and hang out with him. The way people use golf for building relationships and building their business, I use horse racing.”

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