Back To Two Turns, Galilean Wins Soi Phet Stakes At Los Alamitos

A stretch to two turns and a return to Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif., proved the winning moves for Galilean as he rolled to an easy victory in the $101,500 Soi Phet Stakes on Saturday.

Trained by John Sadler for West Point Thoroughbreds, Denise Barker, William Sandbrook, John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, the 4-year-old stalked the early pace from his outside post, then powered away in the final quarter of a mile to win by four lengths under jockey Juan Hernandez.

The score in 1:35.49 for the mile was the first for the son of Uncle Mo and the El Prado mare Fresia since he captured the California Cup Derby Feb. 18, 2019, at Santa Anita when trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.

He's now 4-for-9 lifetime with earnings of $442,948. Three of those victories – in as many starts – have come at Los Alamitos. Galilean captured the Barretts Juvenile in his career debut here Sept. 22, 2018, then won the King Glorious – at the Soi Phet distance – by nine lengths nearly three months later.

The even-money favorite against seven other horses bred or sired in California, Galilean paid $4, $3.40 and $3.

Grinning Tiger, fresh off a 92-1 upset in the Crystal Water Stakes on turf three weeks earlier, finished a head in front of 18-1 outsider Brandothebartender to complete the exacta. Dismissed at 12-1 Saturday, Grinning Tiger returned $8.20 and $5 while the show price on Brandothebartender was $4.60.

Completing the order of finish were Loud Mouth, King Abner, the 5-2 second choice, pacesetter Take the One O One, Lymebyrd and Three Ay Em.

“I talked to (Sadler) this morning and he told me to try and sit just outside the speed,'' said Hernandez after his first Los Alamitos stakes success. “This horse relaxed perfectly and I wanted to wait until the stretch to make a move and he exploded when I asked him. He was lugging in some, but I corrected him and he was very strong at the end.''

Alex Bisono, an assistant to Sadler, thinks the stretch to eight furlongs was crucial for Galilean.

“I definitely think he's a better two turn horse,'' he said. “He likes this track. He was comfortable the whole way. I wish he had run a little bit straighter down the stretch, but he didn't bother anybody because he was clear.''

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 1 p.m.

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Grinning Tiger Back At Favored Los Al For Saturday’s Newly-Named Soi Phet Stakes

Fresh off a gate-to-wire 92-1 shocker in the Crystal Water Stakes on the Santa Anita turf, Grinning Tiger will try to remain perfect at Los Alamitos in the $100,000 Soi Phet Saturday.

A one-mile event for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California, the Soi Phet – which was formerly named the Bertrando (2014-2019) – is the eighth of nine races. Post time is 1 p.m. Approximate post time for the Soi Phet is 4:30 p.m.

The stakes honors a gelded son of Tizbud, who won five stakes at Los Alamitos – including the race now named for him in 2014 and 2018 – for the Benowitz Family Trust, Mathilde Powell and Paul Viskovich and trainer Leonard Powell. Soi Phet, who was claimed for $16,000 in the spring of 2013 at Hollywood Park, retired at age 11 in 2019 with more than $1 million in earnings.

Owned by Tyree Wolesensky and trained by Anthony Saavedra, Grinning Tiger ended a five-race losing streak with his Crystal Water stunner, defeating seven rivals by nearly two lengths at the same distance he will be running Saturday.

Both of his wins at Los Alamitos were 7-1 upsets in sprints. He defeated state bred optional claimers going 5 ½ furlongs during the 2019 Summer Thoroughbred Festival and led throughout to win an optional claimer during the Los Angeles County Fair meet nearly two months later.

A son of Smiling Tiger and the Pioneering mare Karlee's Kitten, Grinning Tiger has won eight of 27 and banked $209,801.

Galilean is also 2-for-2 at Los Alamitos with his victories coming in 2018 when trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.

The Uncle Mo colt out of the El Prado mare Fresia won at first asking as a 2-year-old Sept. 22, then stretched out to the Soi Phet distance to win the King Glorious by nine lengths during the Winter meet that year.

Owned by a partnership that includes West Point Thoroughbreds, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith and now trained by John Sadler, Galilean is seeking his first win since taking the California Cup Derby Feb. 18, 2019. He's 3-for-8 with a bankroll of $382,948.

Trained by Phil D'Amato for Summit Racing LLC, William Branch, Jeff Owen, Jeremy Peskoff and Jackie Rojas, King Abner will be trying to improve upon a fifth place finish as the 4-5 favorite in this race last year.

The 6-year-old gray gelding by Hansen out of the Salt Lake mare Margarita Salt has won six of 25 and earned $399,309. He owns a win at Los Alamitos, scoring an optional claiming victory during the 2018 Winter meet.

Take the One O One will bid for a second consecutive win for owner Samantha Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable and trainer Brian Koriner. The 5-year-old Acclamation horse went gate-to-wire at the Soi Phet distance May 22 in Arcadia.

Out of the Jump Start mare North Freeway, Take the One O One is 5-for-13 with earnings of $382,306.

Claimed for $20,000 by trainer Andrew Lerner for Alydom Racing LLC out of a turf win May 25, Three Ay Em, who hass won four of 13 and earned $125,799, will be looking for his second tally at Los Alamitos.

The 4-year-old son of New Year's Day and the Theatrical mare Potenza broke his maiden via disqualification in his fourth career start Sept. 8, 2018 when trained by Jeff Bonde.

Lerner will be trying for a second consecutive win in the Soi Phet. He clicked with the mare Queen Bee to You a year ago.

Brandothebartender will be looking for his first win on a surface other than turf.

Trained by Craig Dollase for Flawless Racing, Brian Flanagan and Michael Jarvis, the 7-year-old Tribal Rule gelding out of the Stravinsky mare Frysland is 0-for-4 on dirt. He's 6-for-34 overall with a bankroll of $460,984.

Lymebyrd will be making his first start in Southern California since 2018 for owners Don and Guy Brown and trainer Angelo Tekos.

The 7-year-old Limehouse gelding out of the Old Trieste mare, who has won six of 33 and earned $212,534, has a Los Alamitos victory on his resume. He broke his maiden by 7 ½ lengths against $20,000 claimers July 15, 2017 when trained by Dean Pederson.

Loud Mouth will stretch out to eight furlongs after finishing fourth of five in the Thors Echo Stakes June 13.

Trained by Steve Knapp for Thomsen Racing LLC, the 4-year-old Boisterous colt out of the Drama Cat mare Tale of the Cat has won four of 16 and banked $133,348.

From inside out, the field for the Soi Phet Stakes: Brandothebartender, Umberto Rispoli rides, 119 pounds; King Abner, Abel Cedillo, 119; Take the One O One, Jose Valdivia, Jr., 119; Three Ay Em, Aaron Gryder, 119; Loud Mouth, Drayden Van Dyke, 119; Grinning Tiger, Heriberto Figueroa, 124; Lymebyrd, Tiago Pereira, 119 and Galilean, Juan Hernandez, 119.

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Los Alamitos’ Summer Thoroughbred Festival Kicks Off Friday

The first of two Thoroughbred meets at Los Alamitos this year will begin Friday, June 26.

The seven-day Summer Thoroughbred Festival will continue through Sunday, July 5 with racing conducted Friday-Sunday (June 26-28) the first week and Thursday-Sunday (July 2-5) the final week. Post time each racing day is 1 p.m.

The season will be highlighted by a pair of graded stakes races – the Grade II, $200,000 Great Lady M. for fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up) at 6 ½ furlongs and the Grade III, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

Both will be run Saturday, July 4. The Los Alamitos Derby is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby'' in 2020. The winner will receive 20 points towards a berth in the Kentucky Derby, which will be run Saturday, Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

The wagering menu includes the Pick Six – with the traditional 70-30 split – a pair of $1 Pick 4's – races 2-5 and the final four races – as well as the extremely popular Players' Pick 5 – a 50-cent minimum wager with a reduced 14% takeout rate which is offered on the first five races.

The other stakes race to be offered is the $100,000 Soi Phet for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California.

Run at one mile, the Soi Phet – which was formerly named the Bertrando (2014-2019) – honors a gelding who was a five-time stakes winner at Los Alamitos prior to his retirement at age 11 last year. Two of his local victories came in the Bertrando, including the inaugural running in 2014.

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Galilean, Grinning Tiger Among Nominees For Race Honoring Soi Phet

Galilean and Grinning Tiger, a combined 4-for-4 at Los Alamitos, are among 12 nominees to the $100,000-guaranteed Soi Phet Stakes, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California.

The seventh renewal of the race formerly known as the Bertrando will be  run Saturday, June 27, the second day of the Summer Thoroughbred Festival at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.

The race honors Soi Phet, a gelded son of Tizbud trained by Leonard Powell for the Benowitz Family Trust, Mathilde Powell and Paul Viskovich who won five stakes races at Los Alamitos before his retirement at age 11 in 2019. The first of his local victories came in the inaugural Bertrando in 2014 and he won the race again in 2018.

Owned by a partnership that includes West Point Thoroughbreds and trained by John Sadler, Galilean, a 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo, scored in his career debut at Los Alamitos Sept. 22, 2018, then captured the King Glorious Stakes by nine lengths nearly three months later. Both of those victories came for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Grinning Tiger, who scored a pair of 7-1 upsets in sprints in 2019 in his first two races at Los Alamitos, comes off a shocking gate-to-wire win in the Crystal Water Stakes on the Santa Anita grass June 6.

Owned by Tyree Wolesensky and trained by Anthony Saavedra, the 92-1 stunner was the eighth win in 27 starts for the 5-year-old son of Smiling Tiger.

Other nominees include Brandothebartender, Cono, 4-year-old fillies D's Lovely Sophia and Silk From Heaven, King Abner, fifth in this race a year ago, Lieutenant Dan, Loud Mouth, Lymebyrd, Take the One O One and Three Ay Em.

Entries for the Soi Phet Stakes will be taken Wednesday, June 24.

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