Charmaine's Mia Stretches Out for Gamely Stakes

Agave Racing Stable, Medallion Racing, and Rockin Robin Racing Stables' Charmaine's Mia  carries a three-race win streak into the $300,000 Gamely Stakes (G1T) May 31 at Santa Anita Park as she seeks her first top-level win. The 1 1/18-mile turf event for fillies and mares 3 and up closes out the Memorial Day card at the Southern California track.

The three front-running wins from the 5-year-old The Factor   mare have all come since she transitioned to trainer Phil D'Amato's barn in Southern California. She was owned and trained by Michael McDonald through her first three seasons on the track.

Charmaine's Mia won the six-furlong Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) Jan. 9, took the one-mile Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) Feb. 20, and last out on April 3 won at a mile again in the Royal Heroine Stakes (G2T). The Gamely will be her first race past eight furlongs. 

"The Gamely is an eighth of a mile longer, but she's training as good as she ever has," D'Amato said.

Flavien Prat, aboard for the last two starts, retains the mount from post 2.

Last year's Gamely winner, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Keeper Ofthe Stars , returns for trainer Jonathan Wong. The 5-year-old Midnight Lute   mare has run twice on the turf at Golden Gate Fields this season after closing 2020 with two off-the-board finishes last summer. She won an allowance by a neck April 3 and was second beaten a head racing against males in the San Francisco Mile (G3T) April 24. Abel Cedillo, who rode Keeper Ofthe Stars in last year's Gamely, will be back aboard in post 6.

Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta , second in the Gamely a year ago, will also take another shot. She is one of two in the field trained by Richard Baltas, along with Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and MyRacehorse's March 27 Santa Ana Stakes (G3T) winner Going to Vegas .

"Everything looks good. The race could set up for Bodhicitta. She just needed a rest," Baltas said in explaining the mare's lengthy absence.

Bodhicitta is making her first start since eighth in the Nov. 29 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar, but did win the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) last summer at that same track. Trevor McCarthy will be in the irons from post 9 on the outside.

Prior to the Santa Ana, Going to Vegas was fourth in the Buena Vista. She closed out 2020 with four consecutive runner-up finishes, including in the 1 1/4-mile American Oaks (G1T) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Umberto Rispoli, up for the Santa Ana victory, will ride again from post 4.

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, and Tim and Anna Cambron's La Signare  ships in from the Keeneland barn of Brendan Walsh. She was third last out at the Lexington oval in the April 10 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1T). 

The Jenny Wiley fifth-place finisher, Slam Dunk Racing, James Branham, and Lee Rolfe's Maxim Rate , is also entered back in the Gamely. She is based in Southern California with trainer Simon Callaghan. 

Haruya Yoshida's Red Lark , winner of the 2020 Del Mar Oaks (G1T) for trainer Paddy Gallagher, is looking for her first win since that August score. 

D'Amato entered Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables' Raymundos Secret  in the Gamely and Monday's Shoemaker Mile (G1T), but said the 5-year-old Treasure Beach   mare will not run in either race. The trainer said Raymundos Secret will run in either the 6 1/2-furlong Monrovia Stakes (G2T) June 5 or the one-mile Wilshire Stakes (G3T) June 20.

Entries: Gamely S. (G1T)

Santa Anita Park, Monday, May 31, 2021, Race 9

• Grade IT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:24 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1La Signare (FR)	Mike E. Smith	122	Brendan P. Walsh	6/1
2	2Charmaine's Mia (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Philip D'Amato	8/5
98	3Raymundos Secret (FL)	SCRATCHED	0	UNKNOWN	-
3	4Going to Vegas (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	122	Richard Baltas	6/1
4	5Red Lark (IRE)	Ricardo Gonzalez	124	Patrick Gallagher	12/1
5	6Keeper Ofthe Stars (KY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Jonathan Wong	5/2
6	7Maxim Rate (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Simon Callaghan	5/1
98	8Stela Star (IRE)	SCRATCHED	0	UNKNOWN	-
7	9Bodhicitta (GB)	Trevor McCarthy	124	Richard Baltas	8/1