As dominant as trainer Phil D'Amato is in Southern California turf races, he had never won the Gamely Stakes (G1T). However, Macadamia, a quirky Brazilian-bred racing for Japanese interests, checked that box with a nifty come-from-behind effort May 29 at Santa Anita Park.
D'Amato often brings Irish-breds to Santa Anita graded races. Yet this time the Irish distaffers were against him. Quattroelle and Macadamia had traded recent victories locally, while trainer Brendan Walsh sent out Viareggio, a graded winner in Ireland who scored in a Keeneland allowance race in her only United States start.
Queen Goddess, winner of the Dec. 31 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita and the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, went off as the 4-5 favorite in the 1 1/8-mile Gamely. D'Amato entered Macadamia, the 6-1 third choice, and multiple graded stakes-placed School Dance, the 4-1 second choice.
School Dance, with Flavien Prat aboard, took the early lead in the Gamely, coasting along on easy fractions of :24.06 for the first quarter-mile and :48.08 for a half-mile. But she wasn't happy.
"I thought that she was going to run good, but Flavien said she wanted no part of being on the lead," D'Amato said. "He said she just resented it the whole time and put up the white flag."
Midway through the race, Macadamia, well back in sixth early, began accelerating for Tiago Pereira.
"I saw Tiago coming on the outside with Macadamia stocking up a run, and I thought maybe we'd have a chance to run one-two," D'Amato said.
But once that white flag appeared, School Dance backpedaled quickly, eventually finishing seventh and last.
Queen Goddess vied for command around the second turn and grabbed the lead with a quarter-mile to go, briefly looking like she would soar home on top. That didn't last long because Macadamia came on to put her head in front at the sixteenth pole.
As those two approached the wire, Quattroelle, who trailed early, got into the mix. Racing wide, she caught Queen Goddess for second by a nose as Macadamia ($14.40) won by a length in 1:48.01.
"I saw everyone in front of us, and I was going to follow the 3 (Queen Goddess) until the three-eighths pole," said Pereira. "When it was time to go, she responded very well."
Pereira isn't just the jockey who climbs aboard Macadamia on race day. He breezes her regularly, and D'Amato credits him with much of the mare's success.
"She's a filly who when she first came here she would find a way to get herself beat," said D'Amato. "She would try to put the brakes on or duck in, duck out. We put Tiago on and she's slowly matured. Those two just kind of jelled together. He breezes her every week."
D'Amato trains Macadamia for R Unicorn Stable of Japan. He said that John McCormack purchased her in South America for R Unicorn. McCormack earlier bought Island of Love for the same owner, and D'Amato trained that daughter of Kodiac to capture the 2022 Senorita Stakes (G3T).
Haras Springfield bred Macadamia, a 5-year-old daughter of Hat Trick—Une Autre Etoile (BRZ), by Northern Afleet.
"She was accomplished in South America—she was a grade 1 winner there," D'Amato said.
With Southern Hemisphere horses being six months behind because of the difference in the seasons and the breeding season, D'Amato explained that it took Macadamia a while to acclimate to California. She made her first U.S. start in June of last year at Santa Anita and hasn't finished worse than fourth in eight starts, including winning the April 30 Wilshire Stakes (G3T).
"A lot of times they take longer when you bring them over here to catch up with older horses," D'Amato said. "She finally did and she showed that she can compete with the best of them."
