USA: Dual Grade 1 winner Take The Points, who was controversially denied a third top-flight victory when disqualified in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on February 6, was on Monday installed a 16-1 chance by Blue Square for the Dubai World Cup on March 27.

Take The Points, who has raced on turf since last summer, was disqualified and placed fifth at Gulfstream Park, although his connections felt the contact with unplaced Yate's Black Cat at the sixteenth pole was minimal and that he was unfortunate to be thrown out.

Blue Square agree, with spokesman Alan Alger saying on Monday: "Our odds compiler who specialises in US racing says he probably wouldn't have been disqualified anywhere except in America, and that he's decent enough to be introduced at 16-1." Andrew Scutts, Racing Post.

Our two year old colt, Naos (Lion Heart - Miss Moonwaki), won impressively at Aqueduct yesterday. Breaking  a shade slow he was soon quick to make up ground and began passing horses in the turn. Running on strongly down the lane he drove past Storm Door (High Yield) for a 2 1/2 length victory. Naos was bred in Kentucky by Winstar Farm and was purchased by Starlight at the 2007 Fasig Tipton July Yearling sale for $135,000.

Up For Love (pictured) is running in the 2nd race at Aqueduct on Friday. It is a maiden special weight for two year old New York Breds going a mile and seventy yards on the inner track. He drew post position 2 of 10 and will be ridden by Ragiv Maragh. He will get blinkers for the first time. Post time is 12:56.

We will enter Naos tomorrow for a maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct.

Just An Inkling will point to a maiden race at Turfway Park on December 20th.

Checklist will point to a maiden at Gulfstream on January 3rd and Umbra will point to a maiden on the turf on January 10th, also at Gulfstream.

Hampered badly in his last start by a fallen jockey, our More Than Ready colt, Up For Love (pictured), will try to get the job done again on Friday. He is running in the 9th race at Aqueduct, a maiden special for two year old New York Breds going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.  He will break from post position 5 of 12 and Johnny Velazquez will be in the irons this time. Post time is 4:12 EDT.

Our Dixie Union colt, Umbra, is running in the 4th race at Aqueduct on Saturday. It is a maiden special weight for 2yo colts going a mile and one sixteenth on the turf. He breaks from post 10 of 12 with Johnny Velazquez in the irons. Post time is 1:52 EDT.

Our More Than Ready two year old colt, Up For Love (pictured), is running in the 5th race at Belmont today. It is a state bred maiden special weight going 7 furlongs on the turf. He will break from post position 8 of 12 and Edgar Prado will be in the irons. He was second in this condition last time out and would look to improve today.

Starlight Stable is running Sleuse in the 9th race. Trying the turf for the first time he will have Johnny Velazquez on board for this first level allowance race. He drew post 3 of 9 for this mile and one sixteenth event.

Banshee Express (pictured on left as a yearling) is running in the 10th race at Keeneland on Friday. It is a maiden special weight for 2 year old fillies going 6 furlongs on the main track. She has drawn post position 11 of 12 and Rene Douglas will be in the irons. Post time for the race is 5:40. She has been training very forwardly and posted a nice gate move at the weekend so should be ready to shake rattle and roll.

Daguerreotype is running in the 5th race tomorrow at the Meadowlands. It is a first level allowance race for fillies and mares going 6 furlongs on the main track. She has drawn post position 5 of 7 and Chris Decarlo will be in the irons. Post time for the race is 2:45.

Up for Love (pictured on left) will debut tomorrow at Belmont Park. The More Than Ready colt is running in the 5th race, a New York Bred maiden special weight race going a mile on the turf. He drew post position 4 of 12 and Corey Nakatani will be on board. Post time for the race is 3:11 EDT. 

We were most unfortunate not to win with Umbra yesterday. He broke badly and ran into traffic on the back side. When Johnny Velazquez pulled him out heading for home on the turn he ran strongly down the center of the track only to get beaten a neck for second. 

Take The Points will be the partnership's next runner. He is being pointed to a race on September 27th at Belmont.

Bullara, who is owned by Starlight Stable in partnership with Donald Lucarelli and Barbara Kurtin, is running in a third level allowance race going a mile on the turf at Philadelphia Park on Sunday. He drew post 1 of 11 and Kendrick Carmouche has the ride. Post time for this race is 3:22 EDT.

Bullara (pictured) is running in the 6th race today at Saratoga. It is a $60,000 claiming race going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. He has drawn post 10 of 10 and Johnny Velazquez will be in the irons. Post time is 3:49.

Sam P. is running in the 8th race at Saratoga on Friday. It is an optional claiming race going a mile and an eighth on the main track. He will run for the allowance condition. He has drawn post position 2 of 7 and Johnny Velazquez will be on board. Post time is 6:36.  

The Starlight Racing 2007 Partnership has its first stakes runner! Our Seeking the Gold colt, Bullion Cache is running in the Grade II Sanford Stakes on Thursday at Saratoga. It is a $150,000 race for two year olds going six furlongs on the dirt. He has drawn post 5 of 7 and Johnny Velazquez will be in the irons. Post time for the race is 5:31.

Dear Friend will debut on Wednesday at Arlington Park. Our Friend's Lake filly is entered in the 7th race, a $40,000 maiden claiming event going 5 1/2 furlongs on the polytrack. She will break from post position 5 of 11 and Jesse Campbell will be in the irons. Post time is 5:38 EDT.

The Starlight team were out in force at the Fasig Tipton yearling sales scouting for stars of tomorrow for the 2008 racing partnership. We ended up with eight purchases, seven colts and one filly. Our average purchase price was $160,000 with prices ranging from $320,000 to $60,000. Our goal was to find racy athletic looking individuals focusing mainly on younger sires. We will wait for the Saratoga and Keeneland sales to find some more fillies with some depth to their pedigrees. A $320,000 Eurosilver colt was our top priced buy followed by $260,000 Medaglia d'Oro colt.  

Eight year's ago at this very sale Starlight Stable purchased the sire of the colt pictured on the left, Harlan's Holiday, for $97,000 who went on to earn in excess of $3,000,000. Hip 401 caught the Starlight team'e eye and they went to $100,000 for him. He is out of the winning Southern Halo mare, Southern Lass.

We purchased this Mr. Greeley colt, hip 404, for $150,000. He is out of the Spinning World mare, Spinning, who is from the family of champion filly Farda Amiga.

We purchased hip 459, a Came Home colt, out of the Bien Bien mare Belle Story for $130,000.

Hip 286 purchased for $320,000 is this solid precocious looking colt by the hot freshman sire Eurosilver out of the winning Dajur mare, Informative Style whose only horse to race so far is stakes placed.

Starlight Partners purchased this very pretty Dehere filly, hip 381, privately after the sale for $60,000. She is out of the winning Royal Academy mare, Riviera Mill.

The Starlight team were out in force at the Fasig Tipton yearling sale this week looking for future stars for the 2008 racing partnership. Our first purchase was hip 209, a flashy looking Value Plus colt, out of the winning Crafty Prospector mare, Crafty Gal. He cost $190,000.

Our Even the Score colt, Take the Points race a huge fourth at Churchill this past weekend. Breaking the slowest of the twelve horses he trailed the field during the early stages of the six furlong maiden special weight event taking alot of dirt. When asked by jockey Miguel Mena, he circled out wide and picked up horse by horse only to come up about 3 lengths short at the wire. He will certainly be one to watch next time out. He is so far none the worse for this effort and will ship to Saratoga sometime this week where he will train up to his next start.

Take The Points, who worked well out of the gate yesterday, is scheduled to be the second starter for the Starlight Racing 2007 Partnership. He will be entered on Wednesday for a 6 furlong maiden special weight event at Churchill Downs on Saturday July 5th. 

Bullion Cache has come out of his winning race in good shape and will ship to Saratoga for his next start.

Bullion Cache (pictured) is running on Wednesday in the 5th race at Churchill Downs. It is a maiden special weight for 2 year olds going 5 furlongs on the dirt. Robbie Albarado will be in the irons. Post time for the race is 3:20. 

Starlight Stable's, Woodway, is running in the 6th race on Thursday at Churchill. It is a maiden special weight for three year olds and up going 5 1/2 furlongs. Trained by Jeff Thornbury he will be running with blinkers for the first time and Brian Hernandez will be riding. Post time for his race is 3:52.

Bullion Cache (pictured), our first two year old runner, ran a very good third yesterday at Churchill. Breaking from the one hole he set fast fractions pressing the pace with a highly regarded Ronny Werner trained filly and held on well only to tire inside the final furlong. He came back very tired and should be tough to beat next time out. 

Dix Huit, owned by Starlight, Lucarelli and Saylor is running in the 5th race on Friday at Arlington Park. It is a maiden special weight for fillies and mares going a mile and one sixteenth on the turf. Rene Douglas has the ride and the approximate post time is 5:28 EST.

Bullara is running in the 8th race on Wednesday at Churchill Downs. It is an optional allowance race for three year olds and up going a mile on the turf. He drew post position 8 of 8 and Jesus Castanon will be in the irons. Post time is 4:56. He won last time out at Keeneland and has been doing very well ever since so we hope he puts in a big run.

Fair Rose ran a very good third on Saturday and should be tough to beat next time.

Churchill Downs 4-29-08

Churchill Downs 4-29-08

Monba is now scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning. He will have a few days to gallop over the Churchill surface before the Derby. He did win an allowance race at Churchill in the fall and as he is training so well at Keeneland Todd wants to leave him there for as long as possible.

Bullara is running on Friday in the 6th race at Keeneland. It is a NW2x going 8 1/2 furlongs on the turf. He is coming off a super effort at Gulfstream Park when finishing second last time out to Adagio, a Grade One winner in England, now trained by Richard Dutrow. Johnny Velazquez will be in the irons.

Monba showed a dazzling display of talent when landing the GI $750,000 Toyota Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday. Given a superb ride by jockey Edgar Prado he was never far off the pace set by stablemate Cowboy Cal. Going six wide around the turn he dug in and wore down his tiring stable mate. He has come out of the race in great shape and all being well will make his next start in the GI Kentucky Derby.

Our Friends Lake filly gets some gate schooling.

Starlight Stable is represented with two runners over the next few days. Bullara (pictured), a four year old colt by Holy Bull is running in the 8th race on Friday. It is an allowance race on the turf. He should be pretty tough in this spot as he is coming of a fast closing second in his previous start. Edgar Prado will ride again.

The following day on Saturday we debut a three year old Gone West filly called Dix-Huit. She is running in the 6th race which is a maiden special weight on the grass. Rene Douglas will have the ride.

Jazz Hall (pictured on left at Keeneland), a Starlight Stable homebred by Grand Slam out of the Dixieland Band mare Dixie Maintenance went wire to wire to win a five and one half maiden special weight race in an exciting dead heat at Turfway Park on Wednesday, January 16th. Conditioned by Jeff Thornbury on the polytrack at Keeneland and ridden by John McKee Jazz Hall's win was all the more impressive as he had not run since March of 2007.

Starlight Stable's next runner will probably be on January 25th at Aqueduct when Daguerreotype, who is owned in partnership with Donald Lucarelli and Paul Saylor will attempt to follow up her win at Laurel in a first level allowance race.

Why Tonto is on target for the Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream on February 16th. Throng is pointing to the $300,000 GII General George at Laurel on Monday, February 18th and Monba, who had his first work since the Cash Call Futurity last week will be taking on some more of the best three year olds on February 24th in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream.

Eclipse award winning jockey, Edgar Prado will have first call on all Starlight Stable and Starlight Racing horses from now on. The Prado/Starlight team has enjoyed a great deal of success together over the years. The most notable of rides were probably Harlan's Holiday's victories in the Grade I Florida Derby and the Grade I Bluegrass Stakes before going off as favorite for that year's Kentucky Derby.

Daguerreotype, a two year old Silver Deputy filly, won first time out on Thursday, December 27th at Laurel Park. Owned by Starlight Stable in partnership with Don Lucarelli and Paul Saylor she drew away to win the maiden special weight event on a muddy track by three and a half lengths.

Monba, who is owned by the same connections, came out of his race in the Cash Call Futurity in good shape and will ship back to the east coast to train at Palm Beach Downs and will either point to the Risen Star Stakes at the Fairgrounds or the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park for his next start. 

Why Tonto, our ultra consistant Indian Charlie colt, is on target for the Tropical Park Derby at Calder on new year's day and Keyed Entry will make his comeback four days later in the Mr. Prospector Handicap at Gulfstream Park. 

Alot to look forward to in the next week!

The Dixie Union - Saw Her Shadow and Seeking The Gold - Cash Deal colts hanging out before training.  

The Two Punch - Promiseville colt

Carlos, Barry's Assistant, rides out every day himself and plays a huge part in educating the babies.

Starlight Stable's top three year old filly, owned in partnership with Don Lucarelli, was sold on Sunday evening for $4,000,000 at Fasig-Tipton. John Ferguson, on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed, signed the ticket. Although all those previously involved with Octave are sad to see her leave the stable she could not be going to a better home and we wish Darley lots of sucess with her whether it be on the racetrack or in the breeding shed.

The Jump Start half brother to our Friends Lake filly, Dear Friend, has now won two races this month at Calder.

Starlight Racing Acquires 19 Outstanding Yearlings

Twelve promising colts and seven exciting fillies have joined the Starlight Racing stable following a highly successful buying campaign at North America’s three most prominent yearling venues.

Some of the world’s most successful bloodlines are represented in the new acquisitions, which were purchased by Starlight principals Jack and Laurie Wolf and Donald and Barbara Lucarelli in consultation with primary advisor Barry Berkelhammer at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July, Saratoga and Keeneland September sales. The yearlings have been divided into groups with partnership investment opportunities immediately available.

“This is an exceptional group of yearlings and we have great hopes for future racing victories at the highest level,” said Jack Wolf

The roster includes colts by global sire leaders such as Giant’s Causeway, Seeking the Gold, Gone West, Unbridled’s Song and Pulpit, as well as sons of More Than Ready, Dixie Union, Speightstown, Lion Heart, Red Bullet, Two Punch and Even the Score.

Two fillies by Unbridled’s Song, sire of Starlight’s current multiple Grade 1-winning filly Octave, headline the distaff side of the team, along with daughters of Giant’s Causeway, Broken Vow, Indian Charlie, Saarland and Friends Lake.

The new yearlings also descend from outstanding female families. For examples:

The dam of the Gone West colt is Yearly Report, a multiple Grade II winner and earner of $835,900. This colt is her first foal;

The dam of the Unbridled’s Song colt is Grade I winner Stormy Pick;

The dam of the Seeking the Gold colt is Cash Deal, who is from the immediate family of champions Inside Information and Smuggler as well as Grade I winner Educated Risk;

The dam of the Giant’s Causeway colt is Call Me Fleet, dam of Irish champion Warrior Queen and from the immediate family of champion and outstanding sire Storm Bird and champion Northernette;

The dam of one of the Unbridled’s Song fillies is Banshee Winds, making the Starlight filly a three-quarter sister to champion Banshee Breeze; and

The dam of the Giant’s Causeway filly is Inkling, who is from the immediate family of champion and sire Nureyev along with another international sire, Numerous.

For more information about the yearlings, click on the Current Roster section of our website.