Juleean Victoria looks to build on debut romp at Oaklawn

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It’s not often that a $15,000 maiden-claiming sprint is won with a Beyer Speed Figure of 83, but that’s the lofty number Juleean Victoria put up in her career debut last month at Oaklawn Park. Following the race, there wasn’t a dry eye in the winner’s circle.

“She’s named after a daughter of one my partners that passed away,” said Ron Moquett, who co-owns and trains Juleean Victoria. “She had heart disease.”

Moquett said Juleean Victoria was the first horse J. Lee and Joyce Didier bought into, and the name of the filly was changed to honor the couple’s daughter. Juleean Victoria, the 4-year-old filly who is out of the mare A Precious Memory, will seek her second career win in Thursday’s ninth race at Oaklawn.

The $16,000 optional claimer carries first-level allowance conditions. It will be run over six furlongs and drew a competitive field of nine fillies and mares. Ransom Zip and Gerwinii were a respective second and third at this level last time out, while Missy Biscuit and Breathtakingbreeze are five-time winners. Bag Tosser, meanwhile, picked up her fourth career win Feb. 13.

Juleean Victoria owns the field’s best last-race Beyer, assigned for her 11-length romp Feb. 12. She was spotted to make an impact in her debut and won off under Calvin Borel, who has the mount again Thursday.

“We thought she would be live in that spot, and hopefully, we wouldn’t lose her,” Moquett said. “Now, we’re going from high school to college and we’re going to see if she can take the step up. She deserves the shot. So now, we’ll see what she does.”

Juleean Victoria won her maiden on the front end, but Moquett said she is not a one-dimensional sort. For the race Thursday, she and Borel will break from post 7.

“She’ll do whatever he tells her to do,” Moquett said of the versatile Juleean Victoria, who might get a tracking trip behind probable pacesetter Ransom Zip.

But Borel won’t be the only passenger aboard Juleean Victoria on Thursday. The silks that he will wear feature a small angel on the shoulder area with the initials JVD, Moquett said.

“It’s like there’s an angel with her,” Moquett said.

◗ There is a $5,950 pick-six carryover into the card Thursday.