Charmaine's Mia must be caught in Gamely

ARCADIA, Calif. – The path is clear for one of the surprises of the Santa Anita season to win her fourth consecutive graded stakes race Monday in the final race on the Memorial Day card.

But only if she stays the distance.

Charmaine’s Mia, who has never raced beyond one mile, is favored to stretch her speed to 1 1/8 miles on turf in the Grade 1 Gamely, race 9. Is distance an issue?

“It’s an issue until she does it,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “If I didn’t think she’d do it, we’d go to Plan B.”

No need. The Gamely field is lighter than usual, and the only pace rival for Charmaine’s Mia would have been stablemate Raymundos Secret, but D’Amato said she will be scratched.

Charmaine’s Mia’s chief rival is Keeper Ofthe Stars, upset winner of the 2020 Gamely and runner-up against males last out in a Grade 3 at Golden Gate. Maxim Rate benefits by a return to firm ground after misfiring on yielding ground at Keeneland. Last year’s Gamely runner-up Bodhicitta and Going to Vegas give trainer Richard Baltas a one-two punch.

Though the Gamely often attracts top shippers from the East and Midwest, the only out-of-state shipper this year is modest Grade 3 winner La Signare. Locally based Red Lark and Stela Star also were entered.

Charmaine’s Mia was an unheralded allowance filly who had never hit the board in a graded stakes when she arrived in California late last year. It did not take long for her to improve for D’Amato.

She paid $35.40 scoring a decisive turf-sprint victory in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas in January, followed by a pair of Grade 2 turf-mile wins as the favorite in the Buena Vista and Royal Heroine. Charmaine’s Mia’s weapon is speed, which she has learned to ration under Flavien Prat, who is aboard for the third straight time on Monday.

“She’s a much more relaxed filly than she was when she won that turf sprint,” D’Amato said. “She’s relaxed more and more, from race to race. Flavien says she’s much more push-button now. I think a mile and an eighth is in her scope.”

Charmaine’s Mia should be positioned first or second over a course on which speed carries – 13 of the last 20 races at 1 1/8 miles were won by a horse positioned one-two.

To win the Gamely, Charmaine’s Mia must hold off Keeper Ofthe Stars. Jonathan Wong trains the Northern California-based mare, who tailed off after winning the Gamely last year. Wong gave her the winter off, and Keeper Ofthe Stars returned to top form this spring.

She won an allowance race by a neck, then missed by a head in the San Francisco Mile, won by Whisper Not, among the favorites Monday in the Shoemaker Mile. Keeper Ofthe Stars will be ridden by Abel Cedillo.

Grade 2 winner Maxim Rate finished fifth in her comeback at Keeneland, with an alibi. “She didn’t care for that rain-softened turf,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “Going back to California firm turf is gonna be much more to her liking.”