by Chris Lomon

Lifting others up comes naturally to Julia Eaton.

It was just over two years ago — on June 1, 2023, to be exact — when the horsewoman from Cumberland, the northeasternmost town in Providence County, RI, sent out her first starter.

The third race on the Plainridge card attracted eight hopefuls, including the Eaton-trained Isitfridayyet.

A bay son of No Pan Intended out of the Artiscape mare Art Debut, Isitfridayyet was the 4-1 fifth choice on the tote board. Despite the relatively favorable odds, Eaton wasn’t feeling optimistic about her gelding’s chances.

“Brett Beckwith, who I grew up with, was driving,” she said. “We had the 8-hole and when I saw that, I didn’t have high hopes. Brett told me not to worry. Just before Brett went out, he said, ‘We’re going to the front.’ He ended up sitting third and made his way up to second. He came up the inside and won it.”

And that’s when Eaton did something completely unplanned – an impulsive celebration of a milestone moment.

“I lifted him up in the winner’s circle – right off his feet,” Eaton said with a laugh. “I was so excited. And now it’s become a thing. Whenever a new driver wins with my horse, I lift them up in the winner’s circle.”

It is something she has done a lot over the past three seasons, including a 2025 campaign that has produced career-best numbers across the board.

Eaton never saw it coming.

“At the beginning of each year, I always write down certain things I want to achieve,” she said. “I checked the list and I surpassed what I hoped to do. I did not expect to have this kind of year, so I am very grateful.”

A big part of that success can be credited to Second Bruiser.

The 7-year-old son of Believeinbruiser out of the Trigger Effect mare Dear Vicky was a modest $10,000 purchase for Eaton, but his performance has been anything but modest.

In 18 starts — I2 of them under Eaton’s tutelage — Second Bruiser boasts a 7-4-2 record and $87,781 in purse earnings.

“He’s been doing great,” said Eaton of the horse who delivered her first win at The Meadowlands, the 44-1 triumph coming on Jan. 24. “He’s made over $60,000 for us and he has been racing lights out.”

The partnership between horse and trainer has been a dream pairing – and not the only perfect match in Eaton’s life.

“I got engaged to my partner Brianna at the beginning of the year – we are getting married on May 23,” Eaton said. “We were saying that we hoped one of the horses would do well so that it could help pay for the wedding and all of the sudden, they all started doing well, including Second Bruiser.”

Eaton is not the type to look back or pat herself on the back.

Instead, she opts for a one week ahead mentality.

“It’s been a good year,” she said. “To be honest, I am still waiting for it to stop. There are so many highs and lows in horse racing, so you are always a little nervous because things can change in an instant.

“Right after week two, the horses started to race very well. Everything has just seemed to turn out well and I am very grateful for that. But I look at each week as the start of something new – your training average is 0 per cent and you need to approach everything with that mindset.”

It’s an approach instilled in her by her father, longtime horseman Mike Eaton.

“My dad, Mike, told me to work with the horses, work hard, and it will pay off in the long run,” Julia said. “That’s what I have been doing.”

And doing it with a helping hand from those she is closest to.

“The best part is being able to go to work and do things myself, but I also have my family there doing the same thing,” she said. “I take care of my horses, my dad takes care of his and my brother, Mark [he and Julia tied for Trainer of the Month honors at Plainridge for April], takes care of his own. We all do our own thing, but my family is very close, so when someone has a bad day, the others understand.

“When I do well, they are so happy for me and when things aren’t going well, they are there to lift me up. I am also so thankful for my groom, Lindsay, who does an amazing job.”

That Julia is in the racing industry at all is a story in itself.

It wasn’t part of the original plan.

“In high school, I played lacrosse, and I got a scholarship to the University of Charleston to play there,” she said. “So, I went off to school. My dad had a horse named Black Broadway who was in the Breeders Crown, racing in Canada. My whole family was there, and I was stuck at school. I didn’t like being so far away — racing is in my blood — and I wanted to be involved. I called my parents and told them I wanted to transfer schools and be closer to the horses. I missed it.

“I went to school at Rhode Island College and played lacrosse there. I started working for my dad in the summer. I ended up going to work for him on a full-time basis. I only have two classes left to graduate, but I just couldn’t resist racing and the horses.”

Julia swapped the classroom and textbooks for the barn and backstretch.

“I was a groom for my father, and he told me if it was something that interested me, I should pursue my trainer’s license, which I did,” she said. “I ended up having two horses when I got my license and they just killed it for me. I knew I could never leave this. I grew up playing sports my whole life and I enjoy the competitiveness of racing.”

In a year that has been chock full of highlights, Julia is eager to add more before the calendar turns to 2026.

“One of the highlights was finally driving in one of the amateur races,” she said. “I haven’t been able to win yet — I have picked up a few checks — but just being out there is a blast, a great time. I am really enjoying it.

“Just having several training doubles has been nice. I had never done that before, so to be able to achieve that has been another highlight from this year. My new goal would be to have a training triple in a day, which I know is very hard. And I would like to have my first driving win.”

Win or lose, one thing won’t change.

“Racing is great in New England,” she said. “You are competing against other people — everyone wants to win — but at the end of the day, it is like a small family, the racing community here. We all support one another, even though we are all out there to win.”

Whether it’s in the winner’s circle or through a helping hand, lifting others up is what Julia Eaton is all about.