Starlight Stables and Skychai Racing have purchased General a Rod, the Gulfstream Park Derby winner being pointed toward the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Starlight managing partner Jack Wolf said Mike Maker would continue to train General a Rod, a son of Roman Ruler—Dynamite Eyes, by Dynaformer, who also finished second in the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (gr. II) and third in the Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I).
Racing for J. Armando Rodriguez, the colt has won two of five starts and earned $282,200. He has never been worse than third in five starts.
He will carry the orange and turquoise colors of James Shircliff in the race.
"I am proud of my involvement with both Skychai Racing and Starlight Racing partnerships," Shircliff said in a statement. "I have been interested in acquiring this horse for some time, and I'm thrilled that we were finally successful in coming to terms with Mr. Rodriguez."
Starlight will also be represented in the Kentucky Derby by Intense Holiday, the Todd Pletcher-trained son of Harlan's Holiday who had the backstretch at Churchill Downs buzzing following his April 27 workout.
Skychai Racing has another Derby starter in Harry's Holiday , raced in partnership with Sand Dollar Stable, Terry Raymond, and Jana Wagner.
Wolf said the timing of the transaction was coincidental in that it is coming early in Derby week. He said the new owners' interest in General a Rod began months earlier, but that the parties were just able to come to terms recently.
"Anyone who asked me before Intense Holiday's work who I liked for the Derby, I would tell them General a Rod," Wolf said. "He has the race record, the pedigree, and the numbers (on analysts' performance sheets)."
