About Clear Stars Stable
Clear Stars Stable was created in 2005 by thoroughbred racing fans who believe you don’t need to trade off fun and camaraderie with winning and success. We’ve created a community of people who love the game and being part of a team of like-minded horse racing enthusiasts.
Excellent financial stewardship is one of our guiding principles. We’ve only held 5 capital calls in over 20 years of racing, and we’ve regularly paid out dividends to owners.
Years of Racing
Career Wins
Purses Won
Be clear on your mission, operate with integrity, and surround yourself with like-minded, talented people.
Our Team
Meet the dedicated professionals who make Clear Stars Stable a winning partnership
Michael Sternklar
Founder and Managing Partner
Michael developed his passion for thoroughbred racing over 40 years ago, splitting $2 bets with his college roommate and dreaming of someday owning horses. Four decades and over 150 wins later, that dream has become a reality.
He has built Clear Stars with the same approach he has used to build many successful businesses: Be clear on your mission, operate with integrity, and surround yourself with like-minded, talented people.
Michael is personally involved with each and every owner, sharing their excitement, answering any questions, and spreading the love of racing.
Be clear on your mission, operate with integrity, and surround yourself with like-minded, talented people.
Our Training Team
David Duggan
Trainer
David Duggan rode as a professional jockey for five years in Ireland, India, Australia, Germany and Macau. He then transitioned to training, where he worked for Neil Drysdale, then served as an assistant to John Kimmel for five years, and Eoin Harty for five years. Throughout his career, he worked with multiple stakes winners, such as Street Cry, E Dubai and Tempera before starting out on his own in New York in 2005.
He has saddled 224 winners to date, with $11,718,992 in earnings. David’s best stake performers include Stud Muffin, Porte Bonheur, Drafted, Kant Hurry Love, and Sunday Girl.
Mike Lerman
Trainer
Michel Lerman has been training up and down the east coast with success for over three decades, emphasizing a philosophy of patience and placing the health and welfare of each horse above all else. He clearly communicates with his clients about his expectations and goals for each horse, producing horses on a consistent upward trajectory—with longevity.
He has developed and overseen the careers of veteran stakes performers such as Antarctic Wings, Azadeh, Gigawatt, Fearless Leader, and Big Data, as well as current Clear Stars Stable star XY Speed. While racing predominantly in South Florida, Michael ships horses anywhere in the country with an opportunity to maximize their success.
Jonathan Buckley
Trainer
Jonathan Buckley began his training career in the late 1970s on the New England circuit before finding his way to western New York and Finger Lakes Racetrack in the early 1980s. Along with his extraordinary, dedicated staff, Jonathan has achieved over 1,900 wins, including 24 stakes race wins. His program focuses on winning races, as well as finding forever careers for those that can no longer race.
Advisors & Strategic Partners
Seth Gregory
Bloodstock Advisor
Seth brings a lifetime of experience to Clear Stars combining the experience of a trainer with the eye of a breeder.
He’s been connected to horses since childhood, worked in racing throughout college, and received a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University. He’s worked with Bill Mott, Mark Henning, and Tom Albertrani, among others. Notable achievements include bringing the great Cigar to Dubai for the first running of the Dubai World Cup and working with horses for notable owners Allen Paulson, Darley Stud, Ken Ramsey, Pin Oak Stud, and Claiborne Farm. Seth started his own breeding operation while training and became a full-time breeder in 2012, breeding Gold and Roses, a 10-time winner (3 of those Saratoga Stakes) whose earnings were nearly $900,000.
Seth works with the Clear Stars management team to purchase yearlings and 2-year-olds – making sure we find great athletes at the right price.
Mike Geraghty
Strategic Advisor
Michael Geraghty has been known across all 50 states for his thoroughbred racing scene art prints for 35 years and has been involved in racing for nearly half a century. He took his first paying job as a hotwalker at Laurel Race Course at 15 years old and never looked back.
The success of his art business has provided a unique opportunity to learn virtually every aspect of the business from industry experts. Over the decades, he’s been commissioned by owners of racetracks, and owners of racehorses, plus breeders, bloodstock agents, vets, trainers and jockeys. At every turn, he asks them for information: how they select pedigrees, what they look for in a prospect, how they market the sport.
He brings a deep passion for racing and his considerable experience as an advisor to Clear Stars Stable.
Bob Jacoff
Strategic Partner
Bobby is the Managing Partner of Mitre Box Stables, a highly successful ownership group that has owned and raced horses in tracks across the country for decades. Bobby, along with his brother Mark, developed their passion for thoroughbred racing as teenagers, still to this day rarely missing a day at the races. Mitre Box partners with Clear Stars on almost every CSS horse, and the collaboration has been a tremendous success both on and off the track. He has a highly analytical approach and has developed his own rating methodology that provides great insight into all decisions made by the partnership.
Aftercare Philosophy
We do our best to follow our previously owned horses even after placement and support their proper care with both our time and money