Santa Anita: Shippers take on locals in Gamely Stakes

Nine fillies and mares from across the country will converge on Santa Anita on Monday, seeking their first Grade 1 win in the $300,000 Gamely Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on turf. The Gamely is part of an 11-race card on Memorial Day at Santa Anita that also includes the Shoemaker Mile (G1) on turf and the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2).

Leading the local hopes in the Gamely are Liguria, Public Assembly and Lady Claypoole, who all exit graded-stakes victories at Santa Anita.

Liguria, trained by Michael McCarthy, most recently won the Buena Vista (G2) at one mile on turf March 1. In the Buena Vista, she finished a head in front of Tirupati, who would come back to win the Wilshire (G3), also at a mile on turf, on March 29 at Santa Anita.

A 5-year-old mare by War Front, Liguria is 10: 4-1-1 with $374,200 in earnings for owner Alpha Delta Stables. She’ll be ridden by Umberto Rispoli.

Public Assembly won the Royal Heroine (G3) at a mile on turf when making her stakes debut April 26 for trainer Phil D’Amato. A 4-year-old filly by More Than Ready, Public Assembly enters with a record of 6: 3-1-0 and $224,66 in earnings. Her first four starts came while based in the east with trainer Chad Brown. Public Assembly is owned by Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing and Lissa Ann McNulty. She’ll be ridden by Antonio Fresu.

Lady Claypoole has won three straight for trainer Richard Baltas, including the Santa Ana (G3) at 1 1/4 miles on March 15, which was her first stakes try in the U.S. She is owned by Abbondanza Racing and Omar Aldabbagh. Bred in Ireland, the 5-year-old mare by Starspangledbanner has an overall record of 19: 4-2-2 with $227,428 in earnings. That includes four starts in England as a 3-year-old. Lady Claypoole will have regular rider Tiago Pereira in the irons.

The lineup also includes eastern-based shippers Be Your Best, who comes in from Florida for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.; No Show Sammy Jo, who is based at Fair Hill in Maryland with trainer Graham Motion;  and Kentucky-based Expensive Queen for trainer Brendan Walsh.

Be Your Best most notably won the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) in January at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old mare by Muhaarar returned to finish a disappointing eighth in the Jenny Wiley (G1) going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland on April 12. Owned by Michael J. Ryan, Be Your Best is 19: 5-3-2 with $906,559 in earnings. She’ll be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

No Show Sammy Jo was seventh in the Jenny Wiley in her seasonal bow. Last year, the now 5-year-old mare by Lope de Vega won the All Along at Laurel Park and was beaten just a nose by Be Your Best when second in the Long Island Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct. She’ll have the services of top jockey Flavien Prat.

Expensive Queen was imported from England during the winter and promptly won a first-level allowance at Keeneland in her U.S. debut going 1 1/16 miles on turf April 18. A 4-year-old filly by Lope de Vega, she has an overall record of 8: 2-2-0 with $64,703 in earnings. She is owned by Farfellow Farms. Taking the call on Expensive Queen is Santa Anita-based jockey Kazushi Kimura.