Thunder Touch upsets Fall Highweight

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Thunder Touch made his stakes debut a winning one, coming from off the pace to upset Sunday's Grade 3, $111,600 by 1 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct.

Thunder Touch, the 126 low-weight ridden by Rafael Bejarano, survived a claim of foul by jockey Javier Castellano, who steadied Papua in deep stretch behind Thunder Touch and Uncle Camie. The stewards disallowed the foul claim and Papua finished second in this race for the second straight year. It was one-half length back to Eavesdropper in third. Kiaran McLaughlin trains both Thunder Touch and Eavesdropper.

Medallist, the 134-pound starting highweight and 2-1 favorite, failed to show his customary speed after breaking awkwardly and finished fifth.

When Medallist didn't break, Uncle Camie, a 24-1 shot, took control of the Fall Highweight had a three-length lead after running five furlongs in 56.81 seconds over the sloppy main track.

But Thunder Touch came charging three wide in the stretch to get up in the final 70 yards. Thunder Touch, a 3-year-old son of Gulch owned and bred by Frank Stronach, covered six furlongs in 1:09.83. Thunder Touch returned $15.80 to win.

The Fall Highweight was originally scheduled for last Thursday, but was postponed when jockeys refused to ride the card's final seven races, citing the condition of the main track.

* Board Elligible ($3.40) came from well off the pace under Pablo Fragoso to record a five-length victory in the $83,275 Montauk Handicap for New York bred fillies and mares.

Sough Wing finished second, 2 3-4 lengths ahead of Bundle of Roses.

Board Elligible, a 4-year-old daughter of Goldminers Gold, covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.07 in the slop. She will be pointed to the Grade 3, $100,000 Ladies Handicap over the inner track on Dec. 18.