Ouija Board, a global superstar, two-time Eclipse Award winner, and successful broodmare, has died at age 21, Thoroughbred Daily News reports.
The Cape Cross mare spent her last years as a broodmare at Stanley House Stud in Newmarket, England, in service of Edward Stanley, the Earl of Derby.
Trained by Ed Dunlop, Ouija Board competed in seven different countries, and faced Grade or Group 1 competition at each stop.
Her racing career began in her native England, where she took home the Group 1 Epsom Oaks, followed immediately by a trip across the Irish Sea to take the G1 Irish Oaks. Ouija Board was on the move once again for her next start, traveling to France to finish third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Ouija Board finished her 3-year-old season with her first of what would be three trips to the U.S. to compete in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The event was held at Lone Star Park in 2004, and Ouija Board drew off late to defeat older foes by 1 1/2 lengths as the post time favorite. That effort helped secure her the Eclipse Award as North America's champion turf female, and she was also named 2004 European Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly.
At four, Ouija Board tallied a win in the English G3 Princess Royal John Doyle Stakes during an abbreviated campaign, then she returned stateside to finish second to Intercontinental in the 2005 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Belmont Park before shipping to Asia to finish fifth against males in the G1 Japan Cup, then win the Hong Kong Vase.
Ouija Board returned to full power in 2006, once again earning European's Horse of the Year title and champion older horse, along with another Eclipse Award as champion turf female.
That season started in the U.A.E., where she finished fourth in the Dubai Sheema Classic, then it carried on to a third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong before returning to her home country for the summer, which included a score in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes during the Royal Ascot meet. She notched a victory in the G1 Nassau Stakes, then shipped to Ireland once again to run second in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes before making a final trip to the U.S. for the Breeders' Cup.
In the 2006 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Ouija Board rallied from five wide to win by 2 1/4 lengths. She then finished her on-track career with a third-place effort in the Japan Cup.
Ouija Board retired with 10 wins in 22 starts for earnings of $6,312,552.
When she was retired to Lord Derby's broodmare band in 2007, she accumulated a similar amount of success, earning the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association's H J Joel Salver Award for Flat Broodmare of the Year in 2014.
Her produce record is highlighted by Australia, a son of Galileo who won the 2014 Epsom and Irish Derbies. He is the only Epsom Derby winner whose sire was himself a Derby winner while his dam was also an Epsom Oaks winner. Australia stands at Coolmore Stud in Ireland.
Other runners of note out of Ouija Board include Group 2 winner Frontiersman and Group 3 winner Voodoo Prince.
Read more at Thoroughbred Daily News.
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