Reincarnate to be Starlight's 14th KY Derby Starter

There are few constants in racing, much less in the Kentucky Derby (G1). But one frequent occurrence since the turn of the century has been the participation of a Starlight Racing-owned 3-year-old in the first leg of the Triple Crown. On May 6, the Louisville, Ky.-based racing partnership is set to have its 14th starter in the 149th Kentucky Derby, all since 2002, when Reincarnate breaks from the 20-horse starting gate. Only seven other owners in Derby history have run more horses in the 1 1/4-mile classic, according to Churchill Downs statistics. Starlight Racing, founded in 2000 by the husband and wife team of Jack and Laurie Wolf, aims to participate at the top levels of the sport, with one emphasis in recent years being to race high-achieving colts that can become eventual stallions. Few races are worth as much to a stallion's commercial value as the Derby. Watch: Jack, Laurie Wolf Reflect Upon Starlight Racing's Kentucky Derby Success Starlight Racing has won the Run for the Roses twice, co-owning Justify, the 2018 victor, and also co-owning Authentic, who triumphed in the 2020 Derby postponed by the onset of COVID-19 until late summer from its long-established placement on the first Saturday in May. Both horses were honored as Horse of the Year, Justify after winning the 2018 Triple Crown and Authentic after taking the 2020 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). "Well, it was quite amazing with Justify," reminisced Laurie Wolf, speaking alongside Jack April 30 from the Churchill Downs barn area. "He took us on the ride of a lifetime, seeing all of that and then that crazy Preakness race when the fog rolled in, and then lucky enough to be at Belmont and around the crowds and listening to them cheering home. It was amazing. "And then, Authentic was the COVID year. So we had (the Derby in) September. It was a little odd then, no one's here (no fans permitted due to health restrictions). I actually wasn't here. Jack came. I was in Saratoga still. I cheered from Saratoga for him." Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert trained both those colts, with Justify raced by China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm. Authentic was campaigned by Spendthrift Farm, MyRacehorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing. Baffert trained Reincarnate, a 3-year-old son of Good Magic, for his first five of seven starts, topped by a victory in the Jan. 8 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park. With Baffert barred by Churchill Downs from having his horses qualifying or racing in the Kentucky Derby through this year for a series of equine medication positives, most notably with Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Reincarnate was transferred to Tim Yakteen in late February to pursue the Derby. SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan own Reincarnate. Tom Ryan of SF Racing serves as managing partner for the group. Other colts from these owners were also transferred and some later returned to Baffert. Only Reincarnate garnered sufficient Kentucky Derby qualifying points to make the $3 million Derby by running third in both the Feb. 25 Rebel Stakes (G2) and April 1 Arkansas Derby (G1), both at Oaklawn Park. Yakteen qualified another 3-year-old for the Derby in Roger Beasley and Leslie and Pierre Jean Amestory Jr.'s Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Practical Move, who has been with Yakteen for all seven of his starts. Both Reincarnate and Practical Move jogged Sunday at Churchill Downs in their first local training activity after flying to Kentucky from California April 29. Reincarnate had an excuse in the Rebel when he was off poorly and shut off in midstretch over a sloppy track, before being simply outrun in the Arkansas Derby behind victorious Angel of Empire, finishing 4 3/4 lengths behind him and a half-length behind longshot runner-up King Russell (The latter is unlikely to gain entry into the Derby due to insufficient qualifying points and earnings). Reincarnate will team with Hall of Famer jockey John Velazquez in Saturday's race. Velazquez has won the Derby three times, first with Animal Kingdom (2010) and followed by Always Dreaming (2017) and Authentic. He also crossed the wire first aboard Medina Spirit before his medication-related disqualification, a ruling under appeal by Medina Spirit's connections. Speaking with Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association publicist Jennie Rees, Velazquez said he expects Reincarnate to be at peak fitness after missing some training during an unusually wet winter and spring in Southern California. "The Derby's a tough race. It's a really hard race to ride, for jockeys and horses, actually," said the 51-year-old jockey, whose ride on Reincarnate will be his 25th in the Derby. No other jockey in Saturday's race has won the Derby three times. Only active jockey Mike Smith (28 mounts) and the late Bill Shoemaker (26 mounts) have started in it more times. "We need a good post; we've got a good rider," Jack Wolf said. "You know how this race goes—anything can happen."