She's a Julie, Dreamcall continue Asmussen's stakes dominance

When Steve Asmussen-trained horses cross the border into Iowa heading west from their base at Churchill Downs, their eyes must light up.

Asmussen continued his remarkable Prairie Meadows stakes run with two more victories Thursday night as Dreamcall captured the $100,000 Iowa Distaff and She’s a Julie romped to an impressive score in the Grade 3, $200,000 Iowa Oaks.

That makes 9 wins, 2 seconds, and 3 thirds from 16 Prairie Meadows stakes starters the last two years for Asmussen.

Both Asmussen winners impressed, particularly She’s a Julie, who won the Iowa Oaks in a manner suggesting she might be ready to hunt bigger game this summer.

She’s a Julie had been racing from well off the pace in her early starts this year but Asmussen said earlier this week that those tactics had come to seem inefficient. She’s a Julie began showing more speed when she finished fifth in the Fair Grounds Oaks, and when she cut back to a one-turn mile in a Churchill allowance race Asmussen used as a prep for the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Oaks, she was on the lead.

Thursday night it was 72-1 shot Baydar who set off to lead through quick fractions of 23.17 and 46.78. She’s a Julie and Ricardo Santana raced second, a couple lengths off the lead and a couple paths off the rail while in the clear. She’s a Julie began closing the gap at the three-furlong marker on the far turn, reached the leader before the quarter pole, and buried her chasing rivals with a strong push to the eighth pole.

Santana looked back, saw nothing close to him, and eased his mount through the final half-furlong, with She’s a Julie still coming home 5 1/2 lengths to the good. Off six furlongs in 1:11.84 and a mile in 1:37.02, She’s a Julie ($8) was timed in 1:43.14 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track.

Cosmic Burst, who was within striking range at the quarter pole, won the fight with Hold Her Tight for second. Sassy Siena, the 9-5 favorite, backed out of contention around the far turn and wound up seventh. Rayya did not travel from California and obviously was scratched.

“Steve put a lot of time and effort into this filly,” said winning owner Carrol Castille, who races under the nom de course Whispering Oaks Farm. “The filly had been running well – she’s just been getting better and better every race. She put it all together tonight.”

She’s a Julie, by Elusive Quality out of Kydd Gloves, by Dubai Millenium, ran her record to 3-1-1 from eight starts while winning her first stakes.

Dreamcall ($7.20) also probably ran a career-best winning the Iowa Distaff, also under Santana. The deep-closing 4-year-old raced sixth much of her trip as Girl Power, pressed by Mended, set splits of 23.62, 47.66, and 1:12.39 in the 1 1/16-mile race. As those two were locked in battle turning for home, Dreamcall had commenced a long run that carried her to the lead with nearly a furlong left to run. Dreamcall drew quickly clear and won by 4 ½ lengths, stopping the timer in 1:44.38.

Mended, the even-money favorite, finished second, a half-length in front of Girl Power. Second choice Jenda’s Agenda went to her knees just after the start and faded late to sixth. Decant and Divine Duchess were scratched.

Dreamcall, bred and owned by Mike Rutherford, is by Midnight Lute out of Foxcaller. The Iowa Distaff was her fifth win from 15 starts and the richest of her career.

Golden Mischief glitters in Saylorville

Golden Mischief made her 4-5 win price looks generous in the $100,000 Saylorville Stakes for fillies and mares on Thursday night at Prairie Meadows.

Stalking the pace three wide and in the clear under Florent Geroux, Golden Mischief swept to the lead at the top of the stretch in the six-furlong race and cruised home to a five-length victory. Second choice Honey Bunny, sluggish early, rallied mildly to be second, finishing three lengths in front of third-place Swing and Sway.

Jersey Heist was pulled up at the 7/16 pole and vanned off the course.

Trained by Brad Cox for Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms, which purchased her last fall, Jersey Heist ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:09.49 and paid $3.80 to win. By Into Mischief and out of the Carson City mare Lanai City, Jersey Heist pushed her career record to 19-8-3-0.

Cox, who has trained the filly for her last three starts, wasn’t thrilled with the speed duel Golden Mischief got into before fading to fifth May 26 in the Grade 3 Winning Colors at Churchill Downs. Thursday night, Golden Mischief didn’t have a straw in her path and was much the best in the Saylorville. The filly got a 101 Beyer Speed Figure wining an Oaklawn allowance race two starts ago and probably can win the a graded sprint stakes at some point this year if her form holds.