Divisional newcomer Viareggio capable of giving Walsh repeat win in Gamely
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ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 1 Gamely Stakes attracted a new set of horses and a deeper field than a year ago, but a familiar theme will be renewed Monday in the filly-mare turf stakes at Santa Anita.
One year after trainer Brendan Walsh shipped an allowance winner from Kentucky to upset the California locals in the Gamely, Walsh is at it again in the 1 1/8-mile turf race, which is the opening leg of the mandatory-payout pick-six sequence on races 5-10.
The Walsh-trained Viareggio, an allowance winner who arrived Wednesday from Kentucky, will face a stronger lineup than did Walsh-trained 2022 Gamely winner Ocean Road. Walsh acknowledges Viareggio must improve off her comeback victory at Keeneland, because she faces a host of legitimate challengers.
The key entrant is Grade 1 winner Queen Goddess, a locally based Michael McCarthy trainee who misfired last out. Phil D’Amato entered graded winner Macadamia and Grade 1-placed School Dance. Quattroelle and Closing Remarks already have won graded stakes this season. Grade 1-placed Bellamore also was entered.
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Six of the seven entrants are based in California, and five of the seven made their last start in California. Shippers typically hold the advantage in the Gamely. Ocean Road’s victory was the fifth in eight years by a horse whose previous start was outside California.
Walsh expects Viareggio to move forward from her U.S. debut victory at Keeneland in a three-other-than allowance. A Group 3 winner in Ireland, Viareggio had not raced in eight months when she won her comeback on April 21.
“She ran a very good race at Keeneland; she had every reason to get beat,” Walsh said. “But I think her class came through. I think she’ll improve a lot for the run, and hopefully that’ll be good enough.”
Viareggio already is more accomplished than last year’s winner. Ocean Road entered the Gamely off just her second victory, in an entry-level allowance. Viareggio has won 4 of 12 starts.
Queen Goddess, based in California, exits a last-place finish at Keeneland in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley. McCarthy noted that both of Queen Goddess’s races at Keeneland were subpar.
“Didn’t look like she was traveling as well as I thought she would on that turf course,” McCarthy said. “I know she likes Santa Anita, obviously.”
Queen Goddess has raced three times on the Santa Anita turf, winning a Grade 3 and an allowance, and finishing second in a Grade 3. She also won the Grade 1 American Oaks when it was switched from turf to dirt in 2021.
Queen Goddess figures to be forwardly placed under Luis Saez in the Gamely. She has won 6 of 12.
Walsh and McCarthy have both won the Gamely – McCarthy with Illuminant in 2016 – while D’Amato seeks his first Gamely victory. Both his entrants are qualified. Macadamia was a Group 1 winner in Brazil who won the Grade 3 Wilshire at Santa Anita last out. School Dance finished second in the American Oaks in December and second in a Grade 2 last out.
Rhea Moon, a Grade 1 winner, would have given D’Amato a third contender, and probably his best shot at winning. However, she did not enter the Gamely. D’Amato said Rhea Moon is under consideration for a Grade 1 turf race June 9 at Belmont Park – the Just a Game at one mile, or the New York at a mile and one-quarter.
Macadamia benefited from the scratch of Rhea Moon to score her first stakes victory in North America last out in the Wilshire, and she benefits again by the absence of Rhea Moon here. Macadamia won a pair of Group 1 races in Brazil, and has gradually returned to form in North America. Her win in the one-mile Wilshire was the best of her seven U.S. starts.
“Those Southern Hemisphere horses, they take a while to acclimate,” D’Amato said. “She came here, she was really behind everybody else. Now, physically, she’s matured and caught up.” Macadamia, 4 for 12, will be ridden by Tiago Pereira.
School Dance has something her stablemate Macadamia lacks, which is an element of speed.
“She’s very tactical,” D’Amato said, noting that she was compromised by traffic trouble in her second-place Royal Heroine finish last out.
School Dance, who is typically positioned in the forward flight, will get first run under new rider Flavien Prat. She has won 3 of 15.
Bellamore returns to turf after a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Santa Maria on dirt. Closing Remarks won the Grade 2 Royal Heroine two starts back. Quattroelle has maintained top form for nearly a year; her winter campaign included wins in the Grade 3 Megahertz and Grade 2 Buena Vista.
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