BC Filly & Mare Turf

Ouija Board added another brilliant victory to her resume (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

Hoisting the historic colors of owner/breeder Lord Derby, OUIJA BOARD (GB)
(Cape Cross [Ire]) traveled smoothly in midpack for much of Saturday’s $2,015,200
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), then cruised into contention
beneath a patient Frankie Dettori at the top of the stretch and swept to an
emphatic 2 1/4-length victory under a hand ride. By finishing the 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in
2:14 2/5, the Ed Dunlop-trained superstar became the first horse to earn her
second title in this event, having taken the 2004 edition at Lone Star Park. 

“She’s proven herself the ‘Queen of Racing,'” Dettori beamed.
“Getting clear to the wire, I just enjoyed the ride. She felt better
than she ever has.”

Film Maker (Dynaformer) stayed on stoutly to save second from a late charging
Honey Ryder (Lasting Approval), with Wait a While (Maria’s Mon) fourth. Next
came Satwa Queen (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]); My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway), who
had boldly struck the front around the six-furlong mark and held the lead
entering the stretch; Mauralakana (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]); pacesetter Dancing Edie
(Moscow Ballet), responsible for the opening fractions of  :25, :49 3/5 and
1:14 4/5; Quiet Royal (Royal Academy) and a rank Germance (Silver Hawk).

Dispatched as the 7-5 favorite, the winner returned $4.80, $3.40 and
$2.60. Film Maker, who was placing in the Filly & Mare Turf for the
third straight year, gave back $5.80 and $4.40 at 8-1, while Honey Ryder
yielded $4.40 to show, also at odds of 8-1. The exotics totaled $33.20
(exacta), $121.20 (trifecta) and $262 (2-4-5-7 superfecta).

Ouija Board is out of the Welsh Pageant mare Selection Board, who is herself
a full sister to 1985 Arlington Million S. (G1) hero Teleprompter (GB). This is
the family of champions Red Camellia (Polar Falcon) and Ibn Bey (GB) (Mill
Reef), a multiple Group 1 winner who was second in the 1990 Breeders’ Cup
Classic (G1).

Europe’s Horse of the Year in 2004 and England’s highweight older mare at
11-14 furlongs in 2005, Ouija Board advanced her mark to 21-10-3-4 while padding
her bankroll to $5,765,646. The
five-year-old dark bay boasts five other Group 1 triumphs in addition to her two
Filly & Mare Turf crowns, namely tallies in the 2004 Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) and
Irish Oaks (Ire-G1), 2005 Hong Kong Vase (HK-G1) and 2006 Prince of Wales’s S.
(Eng-G1) and Nassau S. (Eng-G1). Ouija Board also lists five Group/Grade 1 placings on
her resume, most notably her runner-up efforts in this year’s Coronation Cup
(Eng-G1) and Irish Champion S. (Ire-G1) and 2005 Filly & Mare Turf, as well as a troubled third in the 2004
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1).