Ouraika gamble pays off in first stakes victory

ARCADIA, Calif. - In a strict economic sense, sending Ouraika from Maryland to California for Saturday’s $102,500 Sweet Life Stakes was a gamble.

The winner’s share was $60,000 - a decent sum, but an amount that goes fast when travel fees and other costs are included. The risk, however, had its rewards when Ouraika rallied from fifth in the final furlong to win the Grade 3 race by a head.

Ouraika won the first stakes of her career in the Sweet Life Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course for 3-year-old fillies in her first start of the year. For now, the Sweet Life Stakes is the career-defining moment for Ouraika.

“Whenever you do those trips you need it to work to make it worthwhile,” trainer Graham Motion said Sunday. “We felt it was a sensible spot. Luckily, I have owners willing to roll the dice."

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Owned by Madaket Stable and Michael Dubb, Ouraika won for the first time in the United States in her third start in the country in the Sweet Life. Last fall at Aqueduct, she was fourth in the Chelsey Flower Stakes against fillies in November and second by a half-length in an allowance race against males in December.

In France last summer, Ouraika was a maiden race winner at Dax Racecourse, her best result in three starts in that country.

The win in the Sweet Life Stakes puts Ouraika on a schedule for longer turf sprints, at venues such as Belmont Park and Woodbine later this year, as well as longer races, Motion said Sunday.

“I think she’ll get a mile,” Motion said. “You’re so limited with the sprinters. I think five-eighths will be too short for her.”

Ouraika was ridden by Juan Hernandez, the first time he had teamed with the Eastern-based Motion.

“I thought he gave her a great ride,” Motion said.

Ouraika was Motion’s ninth stakes winner at Santa Anita and first since Sharing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November 2019.

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