Gamely Stakes Picks

A very competitive field of turf fillies and mares in this year’s renewal of the Gamely (G1). I will go with a personal favorite who has a massive pace advantage as my top selection with #8 Be Your Best (4/1). I started liking her when she was a part of trainer Horacio De Paz’s barn, but she was transferred to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. last year and she reeled off three straight graded stakes wins in New York and Florida before failing to handle the going last time out in the Jenny Wiley (G1). Perhaps it was the step up in class that got her, but if you go back through her career, she rarely runs well when she has faced softer ground. That will not be an issue in sunny Southern California, so I think she will show the best version of herself. The biggest reason I like her in this race is that there is no speed signed on and she should be able to take them gate-to-wire the way she did in the Long Island (G3) last year. It does give me some pause that she has jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. up as I do not love him on the lead in turf routes as I feel his one weakness is going too fast early, but with no other speed in the race there should be minimal pressure. I think she gets out front and gets that elusive Grade 1 she has been looking for over the last couple years. I really debated using #6 Expensive Queen (5/1) as my top pick for trainer Brendan Walsh as there is a lot to like about this runner. The daughter of Lope de Vega is coming off an allowance win at Keeneland, which was her first start in North America. Despite having not run in five months, she showed remarkable turn of foot in her return to action. She possesses enough early speed to ensure decent positioning as she was able to clear over to the rail at Keeneland while sitting a mid-pack trip. Jockey Luis Saez was patient with her before tipping her out. Once he went to the crop, she immediately responded and spurted by her competition to win by an easy neck. The fact Walsh is shipping this one out to California and stepping her up to a Grade 1 really speaks to his opinion of her and the expectations. She is losing her initial jockey of Saez as Kazushi Kimura picks up the mount for Walsh. Her 89 Beyer Speed Figure (BSF) will need to move forward, but not by much to be competitive in this group, but second start in North American off the layoff feels like a spot where she should show natural improvement. She is switching off Lasix and might appreciate the firmer ground of North America compared to the softer going in Europe where she started her career. Another horse I like is #7 Liguria (9/2) who I remember seeing win the Wild Appleseed Stakes back in 2023 at Belmont Park. There are some questions about distance as she has nearly always raced at a mile, but she broke her maiden going 1 1/16 miles, so she should be able to handle the stretch out. She is a closer who will make one big run for trainer Michael McCarthy and jockey Umberto Rispoli who are still basking in the glow of their recent Preakness (G1) victory with Journalism. The horse is coming off a win in the Buena Vista (G2) in March where she tracked down Tirupati who went on to win a Grade 3 in her next start. I like the way she is coming into this race, and the fact McCarthy seems to have had her move forward with a career-best 94 BSF in her last start. Finally, morning line favorite #5 No Show Sammy Jo (7/2) is a horse I have also liked for a long time for trainer Graham Motion. However, I do wonder whether she is good enough for this group. Motion has shown incredible patience with her over the years as she has had some longer layoffs, but she won a listed stakes at Laurel before not quite being able to run down Be Your Best in the Long Island (G3) back in November. She came off the bench to run seventh in her 2025 debut at Keeneland in the Jenny Wiley (G1) and she ran a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure, so perhaps she is simply unlocking the best version of herself now. It is not uncommon for turf mares to improve between their four- and five-year-old campaigns, which might be the case with her. Motion does not ship out west for the fun of it, so it tells you he is serious about her chances, and I would include her in my horizontal wagers.