In a thriller, She's a Julie takes the Grade 1 Phipps by a nose as longest shot on the board

ELMONT, N.Y. - While his older female champion Midnight Bisou awaits the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs on June 27, trainer Steve Asmussen sent his other top older mare to pull off a major upset in Saturday’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park.

She’s a Julie, under a patient Ricardo Santana Jr., outfinished Point of Honor as both surged past Ollie’s Candy in deep stretch to win the $300,000 Phipps by a nose. Point of Honor, a slight 2-1 favorite, was second by a neck over Ollie’s Candy.

It was 8 1/4 lengths back to Blamed with Pink Sands finishing fifth. Golden Award was eased.

She’s a Julie won for the first time in 13 months, though her last victory came in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs on the 2019 Kentucky Oaks undercard.

She’s a Julie was coming off a sixth-place finish in the Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 23. But she blew the break that day and after trying to get into contention, she faded, finishing 13 1/4 lengths behind Dunbar Road.

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Saturday, She’s a Julie broke much better and was within three lengths of Blamed, who under John Velazquez set fractions of 22.84 seconds for the quarter, 45.98 for the half-mile, and 1:09.86 for six furlongs. Ollie’s Candy, under Joel Rosario, stalked Blamed from second.

Ollie’s Candy took over at the quarter pole while She’s a Julie, who had moved into third, had Point of Honor and Javier Castellano to her outside turning for home.

Ollie’s Candy opened up a clear advantage in midstretch, but She’s a Julie and Point of Honor were running almost in tandem from the three-sixteenths pole to the wire with She’s a Julie getting her nose on the wire first.

“Today, that was my plan to sit back and wait and just let her finish up,” Santana said. “That’s how she likes to run. The pace was perfect today. She fought really well. I was really happy with her today.”

She’s a Julie, a daughter of Elusive Quality owned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim and Anna Cambron, Denali Stud, Rigney Racing, and Madaket Stable, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.27 and returned $31.40 as the longest shot in the six-horse field.

She’s a Julie improved her record to 7-2-4 from 19 starts and increased her earnings to $1,187,880. The win also earned She’s a Julie a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff to be held Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

For Point of Honor, it was the third Grade 1 race in which she finished second, having done so in last year’s Alabama and Coaching Club American Oaks.

“At the quarter pole I was a little concerned,” Castellano said. “I asked her and she didn’t take off. I thought I was going to be third but she kept running and she ran her race. You can’t ask for much more than that. Second best.”