Julia Shining

Julia Shining is a full sister to champion filly Malathaat, the winner of the 2022 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff and several other stakes races. She is by the sire Curlin out of the mare Dreaming of Julia by A.P. Indy. Like Malathaat, Julia Shining is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Julia Shining began her racing career with a perfect 2-for-2 season as a 2-year-old in 2022. She won her maiden race at first asking with a deep-closing effort to win a seven-furlong maiden race at Keeneland on Oct. 16, 2022. She followed that up with another win in her stakes debut in her second start in the Grade 2 $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 3. After lagging far off the pace most of the race on a sloppy track in the Demoiselle, Julia Shining launched a grinding rally beginning on the turn and reached the front in mid-stretch, where she outbattled runner-up Affirmative Lady to win by a neck. Julia Shining ran the 1 1/8 miles of the Demoiselle in a winning time of 1:53.05 and paid $3.10 to win as the heavy 1-2 odds favorite on the tote board under jockey Luis Saez.

Julia Shining finished third behind Dreaming of Snow and champion Wonder Wheel in the Suncoast Stakes in her 3-year-old debut Feb. 11, 2023, at Tampa Bay Downs. She then was third again in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes April 7 at Keeneland.