Dreaming of Julia's stellar run continues with Julia Shining
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – There was celebration at Stonestreet Farm last week when homebred Dreaming of Julia was honored as Kentucky’s Broodmare of the Year. And the party may not be over yet.
Dreaming of Julia, the dam of Eclipse Award champion Malathaat, was named Broodmare of the Year at the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders awards dinner April 5 in Lexington. Two days later, her Grade 2-winning daughter Julia Shining added a Grade 1 placing to her résumé when a close third in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.
“She was such a fabulous racehorse, and now she’s doing a great job as a broodmare,” Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke said. “It’s fabulous to have a homebred like that.”
Julia Shining, who is by Curlin, will attempt to emulate her older full sister Malathaat by winning the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs – if she can get into the 14-horse field. She currently is 17th on the points leaderboard for the May 5 filly classic. For his part, Todd Pletcher, who also trained Dreaming of Julia, is keen to go on.
“Finished with good energy, but I still feel like she’s kind of putting it all together still,” Pletcher said after the Ashland. “I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her yet. I know she’ll like the additional sixteenth at Churchill.”
Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy and out of Grade 1 winner and multiple graded stakes producer Dream Rush, was bred and raced by Stonestreet, capturing half of her eight career starts. She won her first three races as a juvenile, following up a Saratoga debut win with a 16 1/4-length romp in the Meadow Star Stakes and a win in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park. She went on to finish third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita behind future Hall of Famer Beholder and multiple Grade 1 winner Executiveprivilege.
After finishing second in the Grade 2 Davona Dale to start her 3-year-old season, Dreaming of Julia dazzled with a 21 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 114. She went on to finish fourth in a solid edition of the Kentucky Oaks behind Princess of Sylmar, Beholder, and Unlimited Budget, beaten just more than 2 1/2 lengths after a troubled start. The fillies she finished ahead of included future champion Close Hatches and future Grade 1 winner Midnight Lucky.
Dreaming of Julia was second to Close Hatches in the Grade 1 Mother Goose in what proved her final start.
As a broodmare, Dreaming of Julia is the dam of two winners from two starters to date, led by six-time Grade 1 winner Malathaat, her third foal. She delivered a Ghostzapper colt, who does not have a registered name and was unraced, in 2016. Her 2017 filly, the Medaglia d’Oro filly Golden Julia, died as a 2-year-old.
A seven-figure purchase as a yearling by Shadwell Stable, Malathaat’s 2021 campaign was highlighted by a win in the Kentucky Oaks and a divisional Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly. Last year, Malathaat captured the Breeders’ Cup Distaff to lock down the Eclipse Award as champion older dirt female.
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Dreaming of Julia experienced more bad luck when her 2019 Medaglia d’Oro colt died as a yearling, but the following year she produced Julia Shining. Racing in the Stonestreet colors, the filly won both her starts last year, including the Grade 2 Demoiselle, a race Malathaat also captured. She was third in the Suncoast Stakes in her 3-year-old debut before finishing third in the Ashland.
Dreaming of Julia is the dam of an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Medaglia d’Oro, who Banke said is “fabulous,” and a yearling filly who is a full sister to Malathaat and Julia Shining.
“The yearling is great, too,” Banke said.
Dreaming of Julia delivered her latest Curlin filly on April 4, 2022, and was subsequently bred to four-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief. After delivering that foal this spring, she will be bred back to Curlin for 2024.
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