Santa Anita: How to bet the 2023 Gamely Stakes

An excellent field of seven fillies and mares will run 1 1/8 miles on the Santa Anita lawn in Monday’s $400,000 Gamely S. (G1). One of a trio of major events on the fantastic holiday card attracts a talented and well-matched cast and promises to be a thrilling affair to the finish.

Grade 1 heroine #3 Queen Goddess has evolved into a top turf mare for conditioner Michael McCarthy and gets the nod to earn her second top-level victory in this contest. By Empire Maker, the $1.525 million November purchase commenced her 2023 campaign with a stylish victory in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park, prior to being unplaced in the deep Jenny Wiley S. (G1) at Keeneland in her latest assignment.

Queen Goddess has ample early speed and will be the one to run down at the top of the lane after either tracking in second early, or taking command from the break. The Kentucky-bred five-year-old is 2-for-3 with a second on the surface, and the nine-furlong trip seems ideal for her, as well. Luis Saez coming in to ride is a major plus, too.

I liked the allowance triumph posted by #5 Viareggio at Keeneland while making her U.S. debut and expect the expensive filly to improve in her second outing off the layoff. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Irish-bred came home swiftly behind a moderate early tempo last time out and smoked a bullet five panels in her latest morning move to prepare for her Grade 1 debut. Group 3 heroine will have some value attached to her with solid turf pilot Umberto Rispoli in the silks.

Simon Callaghan’s #2 Bellamore has exotics appeal to me at a fair number. The versatile daughter of Empire Maker was runner-up in the Santa Maria S. (G2) on the dirt in her latest showing, and she has also proven to be a very capable performer on the green, as well. Kentucky-bred five-year-old is Grade 1-placed on this surface with a good third in the Rodeo Drive S. (G1) in October, and she possesses the tactical speed to get the jump on the slew of deeper closing types in the field, too. The mare faces many miler types on Monday and figures to thrive at the distance beneath Ramon Vazquez.

Gamely Wagers

• $20 win #3 Queen Goddess ($20)
• $5 exacta key box 3 with 2,5 ($20)
• 50-cent trifecta 2,3,5 with 2,3,5 with all ($15)