Winning El Encino Stakes No Easy Task for Manistique

Manistique did the expected in the $150,000 El Encino Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita, but bettors who took the 2-5 odds had plenty of anxious moments.

At the start, Manistique bobbled when the ground broke out from under her, then she had to withstand a stretch-long battle with Gourmet Girl, the race longshot at 5-1, to win by a head in 1:43 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Against a field reduced to three with the scratch Saturday of Bella Chirra, then the late declaration of Tranquility Lake, Manistique won for the fifth time in six starts for owner Marshall Naify’s 505 Farms and trainer John Shirreffs. Her previous four victories were by an average of eight lengths.

“I was just hoping [jockey] Gary [Stevens] would stay on,” said Shirreffs of the problem at the start. “He did a great job riding her. I was a little concerned in the stretch because she isn’t the kind of horse that has a big closing charge. She gallops around there and gets around the track kind of one-paced, then she’s able to pick it up a little down the lane.

“It had been six weeks since she had run [in the Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park] and even though she’s been training hard, there’s nothing like racing to get a horse fit. I think this race is going to help her a lot.”

If Shirreffs is right, Manistique should improve for the La Canada Stakes on Feb. 7. Stevens knows she can do better.

“Believe me, on a scale of 1-10, this rates about a three or a four for her,” said Stevens. “She showed . . . how game she is today. She seemed to be conserving a little bit through the stretch and she seemed to be doing just enough to keep her head in front which was just fine with me.”

Gourmet Girl, who began her career beating $32,000 maidens, has now finished second in consecutive graded stakes races and will run in the La Canada.

“Every race she runs, she gives you everything,” said trainer Pice Perdomo. “This filly is something else. We weren’t intimidated by Manistique.”

Magical Allure, the 2-1 second choice who was a last-minute entry into the El Encino finished 5 1/2 lengths behind Gourmet Girl. She didn’t show any of her customary early speed and lost for only the second time in nine starts.

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River Bay, who bled when finishing 11th in a field of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Churchill Downs, is the 5-2 favorite against seven others in the $150,000 San Marcos Handicap today at Santa Anita.

River Bay, trained by Bobby Frankel, won two graded stakes after coming to the U.S. from Europe and the 1 1/4-mile distance of the San Marcos has been a good one for him. He has two wins, a second and a third in four races at 10 furlongs. Alex Solis will ride River Bay, who is the 121-pound highweight.

Brave Act, the 3-1 second choice, is the horse with the best current form. The 5-year-old has won three in a row for trainer Ron McAnally and owner Sid Craig, including the San Gabriel Handicap last month.

Goncalino Almeida will again ride Brave Act, who hasn’t been worse than second in his last seven races, but was unplaced the only time he ran 1 1/4 miles.

Completing the field are Ferrari, Native Desert, Butler On Duty, Kessem Power, Fragrant Mix and Special Quest.

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Favored Turkish Prize beat defending champion Fearless Pirate by a nose to win the $110,000 Sensational Star Handicap at Santa Anita.

Laffit Pincay rode the Turkish Prize, who paid $5.20 and covered the race of about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:14 1/5.