Julia Shining struggles with Aqueduct surface, rallies for Demoiselle Stakes win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Among the traits Julia Shining shares with her older sister Malathaat is a flair for the dramatic.

Seemingly struggling over a sloppy Aqueduct surface, Julia Shining still found her best stride in time to get up by a neck over the maiden Affirmative Lady to win Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes. It was three-quarters of a length back to Gambling Girl in third. The first- and third-place finishers are trained by Todd Pletcher, who won this race for the third straight year, eighth time overall.

The win was Julia Shining’s second in as many starts, the first coming when she rallied from last in a field of 12 to win a seven-furlong race at Keeneland.

That day, Julia Shining resented dirt being kicked back in her face, so jockey Luis Saez had to take her wide before she came with an electric late run. On Saturday, Aqueduct’s main track was sloppy. To avoid any kickback, Saez took Julia Shining into the six-path down the backside.

But it was clear by the way she was slipping and sliding that Julia Shining was struggling.

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“She was clearly not handling things,” Pletcher said.

Eight lengths behind the pacesetting Tribal Queen after a half-mile run in 49.35 seconds, Julia Shining seemed destined for defeat. But Saez got her going some around the far turn and, though still six wide, Julia Shining seemed emboldened by getting close to horses at the quarter pole. She ran in tandem with Affirmative Lady from the eighth pole to the wire and stuck her neck in front at the end.

“The whole way she was not interested, she don’t like the track,” Saez said. “But when everybody started running at the top of the stretch, she just got by and stayed there.”

Julia Shining, a daughter of Curlin owned by Stonestreet Stables, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.05 in the slop and returned $3.10 as the 1-2 favorite.

“When you see one be able to win a graded stakes like that and clearly not perform to their standards I think it’s encouraging for what hopefully is to come,” Pletcher said.

Naturally, Pletcher hopes that’s a trip to the Kentucky Oaks on May 5, a race Malathaat won in 2021 en route to earning an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly. Malathaat, narrow winner of this year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, is likely to earn a second Eclipse Award as champion older dirt filly or mare.

Julia Shining earned 10 qualifying points toward the Oaks with the Demoiselle victory. She will soon ship to South Florida to prepare for her 3-year-old campaign, Pletcher said.

Affirmative Lady, supplemented to the race by her connections, including trainer Graham Motion, despite being a maiden, nearly pulled off the upset under John Velazquez.

“I saved ground as best I could on the first turn, then I put her in the clear,” Velazquez said. “I heard [a horse] on the outside, I know it’s one of Todd’s, I’m thinking I’m just going to hold my position and hopefully when they come to me she goes on. She put up a good fight.”

Gambling Girl finished 3 3/4 lengths in front of Royal Spa, who was followed in the order of finish by La Vita Sofia, Foggy Night and Tribal Queen.

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