By Mary LaRue
She’s a Julie reinforced her recent form with a score in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks (G3) Sept. 30, when she pulled away to a 1 1/2-length win.
Trained by Steve Asmussen for Whispering Oaks Farm, Team Hanley, Bradley Thoroughbreds, and Madaket Stables, She’s a Julie broke alertly in the 1 1/16-mile test at Remington Park and kept the pressure on a game Remedy, who set fractions of :23.57 and :47.59 through a half-mile. While She’s a Julie crept up to her neck, Remedy remained in control through six furlongs in 1:11.47 and into the stretch.
The two were on even terms until jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. urged She’s a Julie to push ahead with a less than a furlong to run. Cosmic Burst made a move in the stretch but could not get past the tenacious Remedy and finished third. She’s a Julie won the contest for 3-year-old fillies in a final time of 1:43.36 over a fast track.
The winner paid $3.80, $2.60, and $2.20 across the board.
The victory was the second at the grade 3 level for the daughter of Elusive Quality, who was the runner-up to Eskimo Kisses in the Aug. 18 Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. In July, She’s a Julie rolled to a 5 1/2-length victory in the Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows.
As a 2-year-old, She’s a Julie won her debut, when she was 5 1/4 lengths clear in a Churchill Downs maiden race, but then returned to finish seventh in the Debutante Stakes in June. Out for the remainder of the year, she finished third in a Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots optional-claiming allowance to kick off her season in January.
After losses in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), Asmussen sent her back to her home base at Churchill, where she came in second by a head and first by a neck in two optional-claiming allowance races just prior to her Iowa Oaks effort.
The win was the fourth of the day for Asmussen and Santana on Remington’s Oklahoma Derby (G3) card. The two also teamed up to take the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes with B. B. Dude, the $50,000 E. L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes with Adventurous Lady, and the $175,000 Governor’s Cup with Hence.
A Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) contender in 2017, Hence finished seventh in the Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) in his last outing. His 3 1/4-length win in the Governor’s Cup over stablemate Forevamo represented the 4-year-old Street Boss colt’s fifth win in 17 starts and pushed his earnings to $878.731.
Other stakes action on Remington Park’s undercard included a 3 1/4-length score in the $150,000 David M. Vance Stakes by Welder, who improved his multiple stakes-winning record to 13-4-2 from 21 starts and earnings to $515,151; and a 5 1/4-length win in the $50,000 Flashy Lady by Marquee Miss.
On the turf Perfect to Please scored a two-length win in the $70,000 Red Earth Stakes; Gianna’s Dream won the $70,000 Bob Barry Memorial Stakes by three lengths; and Adore gave Asmussen and Santana their fifth win in the $75,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes in the last race of the day.
