Starship Jubilee

 ( Racehorses Bred In Florida ) 

After the three race losing streak, Starship Jubilee made her next start in an optional claiming race on August 6. She stalked the early pace then took the lead on the far turn and won easily by lengths. She followed up on September 15 by winning the Canadian Stakes with a late run, easily defeating the highly regarded New Money Honey and Inflexibility, both trained by Chad Brown. The key to the win was getting her to relax early in the race, saving energy for the finish. "I made a few mistakes with her early this year," said Attard. "We sent her home for a break and she kind of just didn't swing back after that vacation. We needed a confidence builder in her and we found one for her, and she was pretty authoritative that day. She came into this race and she worked lights out last week, and I just had a good feeling that, if we had a good trip, she'd come running down the lane."

On October 13, Starship Jubilee finished fourth in the E. P. Taylor Stakes after setting the early pace. She was then offered at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale but failed to meet her reserve on a final bid of $425,000. She was subsequently sold to Blue Heaven Farm, whose owners were primarily interested in her as a broodmare prospect but decided to keep her in training. She made her final start of the year for her new connections in the Claiming Crown Tiara at Gulfstream Park on December 1, finishing fourth. She earned her second Sovereign Award as Canada's champion turf female.

Attard gave the mare a long layoff then entered her in the Nassau Stakes at Woodbine on May 26. After rating for the first half mile, Starship Jubilee went to the lead on the far turn and opened a lead of three lengths in mid-stretch. However, she was caught near the finish line by a fast closing Secret Message to finish second. She then finished second in the Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine on June 29 behind Holy Helena. On August 24, she was entered in the Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga. She fought with her jockey during the early portion of the race, "skygazing past the stands". She eventually settled and made a strong run in the stretch to finish third in a blanket finish. "She was a little rank early, and the pace was slower than I'd anticipated," said Attard. "I thought she ran a great race, considering."

Starship Jubilee returned to Woodbine for her next start in the Canadian Stakes on September 14. This time she went to the early lead, pressed by Dixie Moon for the first three-quarters of a mile. Dixie Moon then tired and Starship Jubilee opened up a large lead down the stretch, winning by lengths over Magnetic Charm, who beat out favorite CompetitionofIdeas and Holy Helena in a blanket finish for second. Attard credited jockey Luis Contreras for helping the mare adjust her running style. "He did a great job. She broke sharp, he got her to relax pretty well, and she was uncontested from start to finish."

Starship Jubilee made her next start in the E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine on October 12. She faced a strong international field including favorite Red Tea, Durance and Imperial Charm – all Group races-placed in Europe earlier in the year. Red Tea went to the early lead and set a slow pace. Starship Jubilee sat just a length back, then made her move on the far turn. She took the lead at the head of the stretch and held off a late run from Durance to win by a length. ""I got so confident on the last turn," said Contreras. "When we straightened away to make a run, she just exploded."

The win took Starship Jubilee's career earnings over the US$1 million mark. She also earned a $50,000 bonus by scoring the most points in the newly introduced "Ladies of the Lawn Series" at Woodbine. The E. P. Taylor was not only her first Grade I win, it was also the first Grade I for Attard. ""To be honest with you, she's been so consistent for such a long time, I don't think of her as a $16,000 claimer at all, at any point," said Attard. "She's just been such a wonderful horse, and it's been a privilege training her.To see her come from where she has, that's an extra really special feeling as well, said Attard. She's just been such a wonderful horse, and it's been a privilege training her."

Starship Jubilee made her final start of the year in the Cardinal Stakes at Churchill Downs on November 28. Going off as the 1-2 favorite, she was well back early then made a strong move around the far turn. She took the lead in mid-stretch but could not match the closing drive of longshot Kallio and finished second.

At the 2019 Sovereign Awards, Starship Jubilee was named Canadian Horse of the Year in a close vote with veteran sprinter Pink Lloyd. She was also named Canadian Champion Female Turf Horse for the third time.

She made her next start in the Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park on February 8. She was the second betting choice in the field behind Magic Star, who was coming off a win in the Marshua's River. Starship Jubilee rated behind the early pace then made her move entering the stretch, drawing off to win by lengths. It was her first graded stakes win in the United States: her previous stakes wins at Gulfstream had all come in restricted company. "Today, just to see her accelerate and win by open lengths, I wasn't expecting that," said Attard. "I thought it was going to be a dogfight to the wire. I was pretty impressed with her today, no doubt about it."

Starship Jubilee extended her winning streak to three by taking the Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 7 as the heavy favorite. "This is the type of horse you can do whatever you want — you can dictate the pace, or you can come from behind," said jockey Javier Castellano. "She's such a classy horse. I enjoyed the ride, and I'm very fortunate to be part of it. It looks like she is getting better and better and better."

Attard relocated his stable from Florida to Ontario on March 24, just ahead of a border closure prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Starship Jubilee's return to racing was delayed by the shutdown of Woodbine during the pandemic lockdown: it reopened on June 3 under Ontario's stage 1 guidelines. Attard considered entering her in the Nassau Stakes at the end of June, but ultimately scheduled her return for the Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga on July 25. The heavy favourite was Sistercharlie, the 2018 American Champion Female Turf Horse. Starship Jubilee rated behind the early pace then moved to the front in mid stretch, winning by a neck over Call Me Love.

Starship Jubilee finished fourth in her next start, the Diana Stakes at Saratoga on August 23. She then returned to Canada for the Woodbine Mile on September 19, where she went off at odds of 6–1 in a field of eight. The favorites were War of Will (2019 Preakness, 2020 Maker's Mark Mile) and March to the Arch (Sunshine Millions Turf, King Edward Stakes). Starship Jubilee rated in the middle of the pack, then started her move on the far turn. She pulled into the lead in the final furlong and comfortably held off March to the Arch to win by a length. "Around the 5/16ths pole, I had tons (of horse), and I waited for a chance to tip her out and ask her to run," said jockey Justin Stein, riding the mare for the first time. "She's so honest and wants to win more than anybody else out there. I watched her replays... she's just gritty. She just waited for her cue and took off like a scalded cat. She was gone."

Starship Jubilee made her final start in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland on November 7. She stumbled to her nose at the break, dislodging jockey Florent Geroux and did not finish. Horse and jockey were both unharmed. "Once you get past being thankful that everyone was okay, then just sort of the heartbreak, devastation part of it settles in," said Adam Corndorf, vice-president of Blue Heavens Farm. "We're a small family operation. We don't have five, six runners in the Breeders' Cup every year that it is easy to just accept this and move on. This was a big deal for us. She is the best horse we've ever had and the best horse we probably ever will."

An asterisk after the odds means Starship Jubilee was the post time favorite.