By Molly Rollins
An idea at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale among the Lightner family members and colleagues blossomed into a 20-owner racing syndicate that's about to have its first- ever stakes starter in Saturday's Dr. Fager S. at Gulfstream Park. The fledgling syndicate was formed by Mary Lightner, a trainer of over nine years and the daughter of bloodstock agent and trainer Mike Lightner. On June 1, 2019, Shooting Star sent its debut runner Chance It (Currency Swap), trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., to the races and the colt finished a promising second. The handsome Florida-bred rewarded his connections 29 days later with a scintillating maiden victory in which he earned a then division-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure. Following that runner's score, Shooting Star's Most Sandisfactory (The Factor) recorded consecutive in-the-money finishes at Ellis Park this summer for trainer Peter Miller.
“We are so blessed,” said Mary Lightner. “For us to have our first syndicate go so well is a dream.”
Lightner created Shooting Star with the intent to bring new faces into the racing industry. The racing syndicate currently boasts twenty shareholders, both newcomers and longtime horse owners. Comprised of three 2-year-olds, Shooting Star sold 100 shares of each horse at $2,500 a share, which Lightner explains is an “all-in cost” that covers the breaking and training, vet and blacksmith bills.
After purchasing the horses as yearlings, the Lightners break the babies and get them ready to run at their farm in Morriston, Florida before they are sent to trainers at the racetrack and raced through their 2-year-old season. At the conclusion of the year, the horses will either be consigned to public auction, sold privately, or possibly rolled into a new syndicate for their 3-year-old campaigns.
“We kind of hope to get people involved at a price point that's affordable and that they can decide whether they like ownership and would like to get their own horse,” said Lightner. “Shooting Star gives them a taste of ownership, and we try to get people in the game that have never been in it before and keep some in it that have been in the game for years.”
In addition to the racing syndicate, Shooting Star also maintains a pinhooking weanling-to-yearling syndicate that is composed of three horses so far.
Lightner's father and her brother, Raymie, have played a key role in Shooting Star's success. While Mary manages the syndicate, her father and brother are tasked with choosing the future runners for Shooting Star at the weanling and yearling sales.
“My father has been in the horse business his whole life,” said Lightner. “My dad and my brother both have the gift of picking out horses and evaluating conformation.”
When Chance It's half-brother, Trenton Traveler (Jersey Town), trained by Mary Lightner, won his first race at Churchill Downs as a juvenile (via disqualification) in 2017, Mary was on the phone with her dad immediately after the race. She urged her father and brother to take a look at that gelding's younger half-sibling in Ocala. Upon seeing Chance It, the Lightners were impressed with the colt and purchased him privately from breeder Bett Usher.
While the Shooting Star syndicate is built upon purchasing and re-selling its Thoroughbreds, Lightner isn't ready to put a price tag on Chance It just yet.
“Chance It was our first runner, we're just really excited about him,” said Lightner. “He's only broken his maiden, but it looks like he has a lot of ability. He's pretty special. The best decision is to wait and see and get the first leg of the Florida Sire S. [Dr. Fager S.] behind us. Hopefully we can run well in that. We're looking forward to it.”
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