Boca Grande shines in Demoiselle

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It has been just three weeks since trainer Shug McGaughey and the Phipps family lost their talented 3-year-old filly Pine Island to a fatal injury suffered during the running of the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

The slow healing process was accelerated somewhat Saturday, when the McGaughey-trained and Phipps-owned Boca Grande slipped through an opening along the rail and drew off to a 3 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 at Aqueduct. Get Ready Bertie, who had moved past Boca Grande down the backside, had to settle for second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of headstrong favorite Successful Outlook.

Boca Grande is a daughter of A.P. Indy out of the multiple graded stakes winning mare Country Hideaway. Country Hideaway is a half-sister to Matlacha Pass, who is the mother of Pine Island, a multiple Grade 1 winner this year.

"That family is a pretty precocious family," said McGaughey, who won his first Demoiselle. "It's not like some of the families that are big and awkward and kind of don't get themselves together till late. This gives us something to look forward to. It was looking a little bleak over there."

Boca Grande, coming out of an emphatic maiden score going one mile at Belmont last month, showed maturity beyond her years by squeezing through a narrow opening inside of Successful Outlook after receiving a ground-saving trip under Mike Smith.

"The mare stays really game when she's down in tight, which is really good because most 2-year-olds, they get down in tight like that, they tend to drop it," Smith said. "She gets stronger when she's in tight."

Boca Grande covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.17 and returned $11.80 as the second choice in the wagering.

McGaughey said Boca Grande would ship to south Florida on Tuesday and point to Gulfstream Parks series for 3-year-old fillies in 2007.

Successful Outlook, the Tempted winner, opened up a 5 1/2-length lead after running four furlongs in 47.06 seconds. At the three-eighths pole, jockey Garrett Gomez thought it was only a matter of how many lengths he would win by.

"When I turned for home, she didn't go anywhere," he said. "She just slowly dissipated on me and ran out of gas."