Boca Grande Heads Forward Gal Stakes

Boca Grande, winner of the Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) last year, makes her 3-yeare-old debut March 10 in the Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park.

The daughter of A.P. Indy is one of seven lightly-raced 3-year-old fillies set to run seven furlongs for a purse of $150,000.

A Phipps Stable homebred trained by Shug McGaughey, Boca Grande has won two of three starts. She ran third in her initial outing but then broke her maiden handily before taking the Demoiselle at Aqueduct.

Mike Smith rides Boca Grande, who carries topweight of 120 pounds.

An intriguing prospect in the field is Silver Knockers, who breaks from the rail under Joe Bravo. The Silver Deputy filly was unraced at two but has won both her starts this year at Gulfstream for trainer Nick Zito.

Owned by Elk Manor Farm, Silver Knnockers won by 3½ lengths Jan. 7 going six furlongs and then took at allowance over seven furlongs by four lengths Feb. 8.

Another unbeaten in two starts is Forever Together, who broke her maiden at Delaware Park in November and then in February was victorious in Ocala in the OBS Sprint. Ownned by Augustin Stable, Forever Together, by Belong To Me, will be ridden by Elvis Trujillo.

The field, in post order:

1     Silver Knockers, 116, Joe Bravo
2     Awsugahnow, 118, Rafael Bejarano
3     Boca Grande, 120, Mike Smith
4     Bold Assurance, 116, Javier Castellano
5     Changeisgonnacome, 118, Cornelio H. Velasquez
6     Forever Together, 118, Elvis Trujillo
7     You Asked, 116, Mark Guidry