April 27, 2024

Ouija Board fulfills fortunes

Last updated: 10/30/04 8:45 PM


BREEDERS’ CUP RECAPS


Ouija Board fulfills fortunes


Lord Derby’s OUIJA BOARD (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire]) vindicated everyone’s expectations Saturday as she
finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of her nearest rival in the $1,410,000 Breeders’ Cup Filly
& Mare
Turf (G1)
under Kieren Fallon.


Moscow Burning (Moscow Ballet) took to the lead from the start
and tried to wire the 1 3/8-mile event, setting fractions of :26
2/5, :52 2/5, 1:18 2/5, 1:42 1/5 and 2:06 1/5. All the while, Ouija Board and
Fallon were patiently waiting their chance back in fourth. The pair launched a rally three-wide leaving the turn and quickly closed
the gap in the upper stretch. The Edward Dunlop-trained Ouija Board pulled clear
to stop the clock in 2:18 1/5 on the yielding turf.


“I was very concerned the first half because the pace was
so slow,” Dunlop said. “She was coming from a 1 1/2
miles back to 1 3/8 miles and I was afraid that slow pace might
get her beat. Kieren rode a great race and had her in
the right spot and the result was just what we wanted. She stays
in training as a four-year-old.”


Sent off the 4-5 favorite, Ouija Board returned $3.80, $3 and
$2.80 to his ticket holders while 16-1 Film Maker (Dynaformer)
followed behind to pay $9 and $6.60, ending a $43.40 exacta.
Wonder Again (Silver Hawk) came a neck back in third to give
$6.60 at 10-1 and round out a $364 trifecta. Moscow
Burning managed to hold on to fourth and finished the $3,257.40 superfecta (5-3-12-4).


Yesterday (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), Shaconage (El Prado [Ire]),
Light Jig (GB) (Danehill), Riskaverse (Dynaformer), Super Brand
(SAf) (Royal Chalice), Katdogawn (GB) (Bahhare), Megahertz (GB)
(Pivotal) and Aubonne (Ger) (Monsun) followed.


This was Ouija Board’s North American debut and comes on the
heels of a third-place finish in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
(Fr-G1). Other notable wins for the three-year-old bay include the
Vodafone Oaks (Eng-G1) and Irish Oaks (Ire-G1). The victory improves her overall record to 8-5-0-3 and
pushed her earnings to $1,671,768.


Ouija Board was bred by Stanley Estate and Stud Co. in England
and is out of Selection Board (Welsh Pageant).