Compari, Mr Gruff back in action at Hollywood

Graded veterans Compari and Mr Gruff, who have not raced since the spring,

will both launch comebacks in Friday night's $60,000

Night

Mover Stakes at Hollywood Park. They will clash with such in-form rivals as

Ain't No Other, Al Instante and St Liams Halo in the six-furlong turf dash.

Compari and Mr Gruff have a generally similar profile. Both are

sparingly-campaigned geldings with plenty of early speed. While Mr Gruff has

spent almost his entire 10-race career sprinting, and has bigger gaps in his

race history, Compari has successfully stretched out in a few of his 11 starts.

Compari's six-race winning streak, compiled from 2009-10, illustrates his

versatility. After breaking his maiden over a grassy mile, the Marty Jones

trainee carried his speed 1 1/8 miles in the Snow Chief on Hollywood's Cushion

Track. He resurfaced nearly eight months later as a turf sprinter, winning an

allowance at this course and distance as well as the Sensational Star down the

hill at Santa Anita. Back up in trip to a mile, he captured the Crystal Water

and the Grade 2 Arcadia before his skein ended.

Sidelined for another lengthy spell until April 16, Compari finished a

creditable fourth in the Grade 3 San Simeon to eventual Breeders' Cup Turf

Sprint champ Regally Ready. The five-year-old failed to move forward when fourth

in a May 8 allowance, and was shelved again. Compari has been training well in

advance of his reappearance, and picks up the services of Rafael Bejarano.

The seven-year-old Mr Gruff has competed just once in the past 17 months,

bringing up the rear in the Group 2 Al Quoz Sprint on March 26. The Ron Ellis

charge doesn't hold together for long, but when he's right, he's a talented turf

sprinter, as evidenced by his two San Simeon trophies. Following his successful

title defense in the 2010 edition, Mr Gruff stepped up in distance for the first

time in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile and held on valiantly for third. That was his

last effort prior to his Dubai trip, and he'll reunite with regular partner Joel

Rosario here. Mr Gruff will break from post 8, just to the outside of Compari in

7.

The sophomore Ain't No Other has crossed the wire first in seven of his last

10, on dirt, synthetic and turf, including a course-and-distance coup in the

Harry Henson in April. The honest gelding has also held his own versus older

horses for Steve Miyadi. Demoted to third for interference in the Jess Jackson

Owners' Handicap at Santa Rosa, Ain't No Other has since checked in third in

both the Pirate's Bounty and the Grade 3 Morvich. Victor Espinoza will team up

with him for the first time from the far outside post 9.

Al Instante was seventh after a slow start in the Morvich, but the

Chilean-bred book-ended that loss with a pair of optional claiming scores.

Hector Berrios will guide the Ruben Cardenas colt from the rail.

St Liams Halo has found new life since joining Troy Taylor at Hastings Park

this year, and now rates as a two-time stakes winner. The son of Saint Liam

reeled off three straight scores on the Vancouver dirt, and was just nipped in a

minor stakes there on July 17. St Liams Halo has not sprinted on the turf since

his three-year-old campaign, and faces a class test off the four-month break.

Lt. Hopeful hasn't been beaten far in the past two runnings of the Green

Flash at Del Mar, and is eligible to improve first off the claim for Mike

Mitchell. Sirocco Strike boasts a 4-2-1-0 local mark, including a second to

eventual Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Amazombie and a fourth to Caracortado at the

autumn meet last year.

A Jealous Woman has been off for 20 months, since checking in third in the

Irish O'Brien in March 2010. The five-year-old mare is two-for-two at this

course and distance, and will try to keep that record intact for new trainer

Francis Meza. The other distaffer is Ash Zee, who shortens up on the heels of

three unplaced efforts for Neil Drysdale.