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Comma to the Top wires Generous

Comma to the Top rose to the occasion in the Generous (Benoit Photos) Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum and Kevin Tsujihara's COMMA TO THE TOP (Bwana Charlie) took the lead at the start of Saturday's $100,000 Generous S. (G3) at Hollywood Park and never looked back en route to a 1 3/4-length victory. With jockey Corey Nakatani aboard, the Peter Miller charge ran one mile on the firm turf course in 1:34 3/5 to earn his fourth straight win and second consecutive stakes score. Comma to the Top was the even-money favorite in the field of nine and, though pressed on the outside by Divine Child (Pleasantly Perfect), led every step of the way through fractions of :23 3/5, :46 2/5, 1:10 1/5 and 1:22. The bay gelding paid $4, $3.40 and $2.40 for the score while keying $1 exotics worth $21.90 (exacta) and $94.70 (trifecta). Moment of Weakness (Ire) (Big Bad Bob) got up on the outside in a four-horse rush at the wire to take second by a nose over Surrey Star (Ire) (Dubawi), who held third by a neck on Gab Power (Powerscourt [Ire]) sandwiched in between. Moment of Weakness was worth $12.60 and $5.60 at 17-1 while Surrey Star returned $3.60 as the 4-1 third pick. Gab Power was himself a half-length in front of Boxeur des Rues (Smart Strike), who completed the quartet flashing under the wire on the far outside, and ended the $1 superfecta (8-3-4-5) that brought $570.10. Dominator (GB) (Motivator), Mazarron (Eddington), Tappin Tough (Tapit) and Divine Child completed the order under the line.

Comma to the Top was inconsistent earlier in the year, running second against $40,000 maiden claimers before finishing sixth against maiden rivals, both at Hollywood Park. He finally broke through with a first victory when taking a $50,000 maiden claimer at Del Mar by 8 3/4 lengths, but faltered when thrown in the Best Pal S. (G2) and Del Mar Futurity (G1), running fourth and sixth, respectively.

Miller backed up and gave his juvenile charge some time, sending him to a pair of allowances at Golden Gate Fields, and Comma to the Top responded with dominating scores. Stepped up into listed company last out in the Real Quiet S., the bay proved he could handle the stretch out to 1 1/16 miles when wiring that Hollywood test by 6 1/4 lengths. This fourth straight tally boosted his earnings to $176,600 and his record now reads 9-5-1-0.

Bred in Florida by Richard and Linda Thompson, Comma to the Top has toured the sales rings twice, bringing $5,000 as an OBS October weanling before being purchased by his current connections for $22,000 as an OBS April two-year-old. He is the third registered foal out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Maggies Storm and has a pair of younger half-sisters, a yearling named Maggie Simon (Simon Pure) and an unnamed Belgravia weanling.

Comma to the Top's second dam is 1993 Virginia H. (G3) queen Maggies Pistol (Big Pistol), who would go on in the breeding shed to produce stakes victor Yes He's a Pistol (Yes It's True) and stakes runner-up Dumaani of Course (Dumaani). This is the same family as Grade 3 heroine Good Potential (Relaunch), who ran third in the 1990 Spinaway S. (G1), as well as Grade 2 second Automated (Repriced).

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