Robert V. LaPenta

LaPenta was introduced to racing as a youth by his mother, and first became an owner in 1998 as a partner with University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. He started his own stable in 2001, purchasing eight yearlings for $895,000 in the name of Whitehorse Stables

In 2011 his stable was headed by Dialed In, who won the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and the Florida Derby (G1) and was sent off as the betting favorite in the Kentucky Derby. Dialed In was eighth in the Kentucky Derby and then fourth in the Preakness. Had Dialed In won the Preakness he would have netted LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito a $5.5 million bonus from MI Developments, which owns Gulfstream Park and Pimlico .

Active as both a buyer and seller at sales, LaPenta purchased a Fusaichi Pegasus colt (later named Fusaichi Samurai) for $270,000 at the 2003 Saratoga yearling sale and then sold him for $4.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale in February 2004, a record price for a 2-year-old in training. In 2003 he Bought a Dixie Union colt for $160,000 as a weanling and sold him for $1.3 million at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale. LaPenta has also sold many successful horses at 2-year-old in training sales, including Zavata, Pomeroy, Court Vision and Stay Thirsty, winner of the 2011 Travers.

Most of LaPenta's 45 horses are with Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. "We've been a great team and I try to leave him alone and let him do what he does best, "I call him Da Vinci, Michelangelo," LaPenta said about Zito, "He knows how to pick unbelievably good horses and how to train them."