High-end races draw classy comebackers

ARCADIA, Calif. – Quality trumps quantity Friday at Santa Anita, where two high-level turf allowances attracted high-class comebackers. The parimutuel challenge is a familiar theme – finding value in a small field. Each race drew five entrants.

Ecrivain, a Group 3 winner in France, makes his U.S. debut in race 5 at one mile. His main rival is local comebacker Masteroffoxhounds, a Grade 2 winner who may prefer a longer distance. Lambeau could upset by leading wire to wire.

Gregorian Chant, a Grade 3 winner ranked last year among the top turf sprinters in California, returns from a layoff in race 7 at 6 1/2 furlongs on the hill. His chief rival is Bran, whose advantages include tactical speed and recent form.

While field size remains an ongoing concern on dirt, Santa Anita has mostly avoided the issue on turf. Some 40 percent of dirt races this meet had five starters or less; 7 percent of turf races had five or less. The allowance conditions of the Friday co-features – one route, one sprint – tend to produce smaller fields.

The races are restricted to non-winners of three other than, or non-winners of $45,000 since October, or non-winners of four. The races are designed for comebackers and droppers. Both apply to Ecrivain in race 5.

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Richard Mandella is the new trainer of Ecrivain, who won 4 of 16 in France, including a pair of Group 3’s. The mile race on Friday is just a starting point. “I think he’ll need one,” Mandella said. “He carries a little weight like he’ll need a race to tighten him up.”

A turf specialist who routinely faced Group 1 and Group 2 company, Ecrivain has worked exclusively on dirt. “Sometimes he works good, sometimes he doesn’t,” Mandella said. “I think it’s because he wants turf, he would prefer to train on turf.”

Umberto Rispoli rides Ecrivain.

Masteroffoxhounds won the Grade 2 San Marcos at a mile and one-quarter last spring at Santa Anita. Richard Baltas trains Masteroffoxhounds, who is racing for the first time since August. Lambeau is likely to set the pace. Vanzzy and Dean Martini also entered.

Gregorian Chant, a dual stakes winner at Santa Anita last winter, is the most accomplished entrant in race 7. But similar to Ecrivain, the Friday allowance is merely a comeback prep for Gregorian Chant. He has not raced since October.

“It’s a good starting point,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “It should be a good first race to see exactly how fit we have him. I think we have him reasonably fit. Juan [Hernandez] breezed him last time, and he liked the breeze.”

Hernandez was Gregorian Chant’s regular rider last year, and rides him Friday. The late-runner must catch in-form pace-presser Bran, a John Sadler trainee dropping in class with a fitness edge.

Bran’s rider is John Velazquez, an uncharacteristic 1 for 30 at Santa Anita since early this month. The others are Overdue, Nero and Commander.