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Boca Grande captures Comely Phipps Stable homebred BOCA GRANDE (A.P. Indy) tracked just to the outside of the pacesetting Perfect Forest (Forestry) in Saturday's $150,000 Comely S. (G2), circled that rival entering the turn and took over to post a 1 1/2-length victory under Mike Smith. The Shug McGaughey-trained sophomore was sent off the 3-1 co-second choice in the eight-horse field and returned $8, $4.50 and $2.90 while keying the $111 exacta and $311 trifecta (4-6-3). Perfect Forest quickly moved to the fore when the gates opened, setting splits of :23 3/5, :47 1/5 and 1:11 3/5 with Boca Grande and Desire to Excel (Mt. Livermore) just behind to her outside. She maintained the advantage entering the turn, but found Boca Grande keeping stride. The eventual winner dug in and pulled away from her rival while holding off the late charge of Winning Point (Point Given), stopping the clock for a mile on the fast dirt in 1:36 2/5. Winning Point broke in the air and stumbled twice, ending up last in the early going. The chestnut miss came down the middle of the track to take second, paying $13.60 and $4.60 at 17-1. Perfect Forest held well for third by 1 1/2 lengths, worth $2.70 as the 8-5 favorite, and was followed by Officer in Pursuit (Officer), Bare Dancer (Cherokee Run), Lost Etiquette (Lost Soldier), Fee Fi Fo Fum (Giant's Causeway) and Desire to Excel. My Kitty (Catienus) was withdrawn. Boca Grande broke her maiden in October at Belmont Park before taking the Demoiselle S. (G2) at Aqueduct by 3 3/4 lengths. She wasn't seen again until the Forward Gal S. (G2) in March, where she bobbled at the start before finishing sixth. The dark bay miss bounced back here to earn her second stakes win and push her earnings to $241,100 to go along with a 5-3-0-1 career mark. The Kentucky-bred Boca Grande is the second registered foal from multiple Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1 runner-up Country Hideaway (Seeking the Gold), whose most notable scores came in the 1999 and 2000 editions of the First Flight H. (G2). In addition, she placed in seven graded contests, including two runner-up efforts in the Ballerina H. (G1) (2000 and 2001) and a third in the 2000 Ruffian H. (G1). Country Hideaway has also produced a juvenile colt by Dynaformer named Vacation and a yearling colt by El Prado (Ire) named Captiva Cat. Country Hideaway is herself a full sister to 2005 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) heroine Pleasant Home. Another full sister, the winning Matlacha Pass, is the dam of the ill-fated Pine Island (Arch), who captured last year's Alabama S. (G1) and Gazelle S. (G1) before suffering a fatal breakdown in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Boca Grande's third dam, Maplejinsky (Nijinsky II), won the 1988 Alabama and later produced champion and nine-time Grade 1 winner Sky Beauty (Blushing Groom [Fr]). Boca Grande's fourth dam, champion sprinter Gold Beauty (Mr. Prospector), also produced world class sprinter and sire Dayjur, England's Horse of the Year in 1990.
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