Thoroughbred Daily News – Jill Williams – May 25, 2026
Mission accomplished. Three months ago, after Thought Process (f, 4, Collected–Creative Thinking, by Creative Cause) kickstarted her 4-year-old campaign with a win in the Feb. 28 GII Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita, Billy Koch of Little Red Feather Racing said, “Ultimately, our goal has always been the Gamely.”
On Monday, that vision became reality with jockey Hector Berrios pumping his arm in celebration as Thought Process crossed the wire much the best in the 1 1/8-mile GI Gamely Stakes on Santa Anita’s Memorial Day program. It marked the chestnut’s first Grade I score after three previous graded wins, including last out in the Buena Vista at a mile on Santa Anita’s lawn. Thought Process races for the Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Little Red Feather Racing, and Madaket Stables LLC.
With the highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure (90) in the field, Thought Process was sent as the 7-5 choice Monday. The Phil D’Amato trainee came into the Gamely with six victories from nine career starts and a sole off-the-board finish in her career dating all the way back to her 2-year-old season when she yielded in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Thought Process has been nearly a sure thing in every other career start, including wins in the GII San Clemente Stakes and GIII Surfer Girl Stakes, as well as a third in last summer’s GI Del Mar Oaks, her last start before the Buena Vista.
Although it’s been three months since her most recent outing and she only returned to the worktab Apr. 20, Thought Process signaled her readiness with a sparkling five-furlong drill May 18, breezing in :58 4/5 (2/33).
When the gates opened in the Gamely, Mar. 28 GIII Wilshire Stakes winner Rashmi (Oscar Performance) headed to the front, leading the field through :23.80 and :48.45 fractions as Thought Process tracked in the clear about two lengths behind. Strung out behind the top two, the rest of the field never truly threatened. Positions unchanged into the final turn, Thought Process swung out to tackle Rashmi at the top of the lane and did it with ease, kicking into another gear a furlong from home, which propelled her to the wire unchallenged and 2 3/4 lengths on top. Rashmi held second, while Apr. 25 GIII Royal Heroine Stakes victress Take A Breath (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) outfinished last fall’s $625,000 Keeneland November buy and MGSW Hang the Moon (Uncle Mo) by a nose in a photo for third. Thought Process got the 1 1/8 miles of the Gamely in 1:47.51.
“It was pretty special,” said Koch. “Someone asked me what the dream scenario was and we just saw it. It was perfect. Hector said she relaxed so beautifully and he was really patient. He didn’t really turn her loose at the quarter pole, he kind of waited until they turned for home and obviously when you are watching a race like that you can tell he had a lot of horse. It was just a great effort.”
D’Amato added options abound for Thought Process’s next start.
“We’ll put our heads together for the next steps,” he said. “She has been training so good on the dirt, so we’ll see what we do at Del Mar. We’d like to get her to the Breeders’ Cup (Filly & Mare Turf) and that would be a mile and a quarter. The key is getting her to relax. She has been a lot better from age three to four and that translated to more distance.”
Pedigree Notes:
Thought Process is the first elite-level winner for Collected, a GI Pacific Classic-winning son of City Zip who began his career at Airdrie Stud, where Thought Process was bred. Former Kentucky Governor Brereton C. Jones offered Thought Process at Keeneland September though his Airdrie consignment–she was a $120,000 RNA–and passed away shortly after. Airdrie offered her again a little more than a month later at Fasig-Tipton October and RNA’d her again for $57,000. The Jones estate now races her in partnership.
Collected, who relocated to Rancho San Miguel in California’s San Luis Obispo County last fall and currently leads all West Coast sires by progeny earnings, has sired 23 black-type winners and seven graded winners. Thought Process is out of a daughter of another former Airdrie stallion, Creative Cause, who currently stands at Marjorie Farms in Texas. Creative Cause is the broodmare sire of 15 stakes winners, including GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Zandon, whose sire, Upstart, is yet another Airdrie stallion.
Creative Thinking delivered a full-brother to Thought Process at Airdrie Apr. 12. The mare’s unraced 2-year-old Win Win Win colt named Juanjuanjauan was an $85,000 purchase by Carlos J. Morales at Keeneland September last year and most recently worked four furlongs May 16 at Palm Meadows in :49.40 (33/51).
Monday, Santa Anita
GAMELY S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 5-25, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.51, fm.
1–THOUGHT PROCESS, 124, f, 4, by Collected
1st Dam: Creative Thinking (SW-USA, SP-Can, $132,592), by Creative Cause
2nd Dam: Hat Box, by Street Cry (Ire)
3rd Dam: Maiden Tower (GB), by Groom Dancer
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($120,000 RNA Ylg ’23 KEESEP; $57,000 RNA Ylg ’23 FTKOCT). O-Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Philip D’Amato; J-Hector Isaac Berrios. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 10-7-0-2, $680,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rashmi, 122, m, 5, by Oscar Performance
1st Dam: Ponytail, by Lonhro (Aus)
2nd Dam: Sugar Again, by Syncline
3rd Dam: Wolanstonita (Chi), by Wagon Master (Fr)
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Augustin Stables; B-George Strawbridge (KY); T-Jonathan Thomas. $60,000.
3–Take A Breath (GB), 122, f, 4, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Darling Grace (GB), by Nayef
2nd Dam: Lady Grace (Ire), by Orpen
3rd Dam: Lady Taufan (Ire), by Taufan
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (135,000gns RNA Ylg ’23 TATOCT). O-Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners; B-Highgate Stud (GB); T-Mark Glatt. $36,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 1.40, 3.60, 10.80.
Also Ran: Hang the Moon, Vronti (GB), Public Assembly, May Day Ready, A Thousand Miles.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
