Soi Phet Preview: Galilean Stretches Back Out

CYPRESS, CA – After a pair of close thirds while sprinting earlier this year, Galilean stretches back out to two turns for trainer John Sadler in Saturday’s $100,00 Soi Phet Stakes at Los Alamitos.

The Soi Phet is open to California-breds ages 3 and up going 1 mile on dirt and is the first stakes of the Orange County-based track’s summer daytime thoroughbred meet.

Galilean began his career auspiciously, breaking his maiden on debut in the local 6 1/2-furlong Barrett’s Juvenile Stakes in his first of 4 starts (all stakes) against fellow California-breds. He won 3 of those and missed the fourth by a neck, with his biggest margin of victory coming by 9 lengths over this course and distance in the 2018 King Glorious Stakes.

After clinching several riding titles up north at Golden Gate Fields, Juan Hernandez has moved his tack to the tougher southern California circuit and will get the mount. Hernandez and Sadler have won 5 of 12 shared mounts since 2019.

Here is a look at the full field for the Soi Phet:

1. Brandothebartender (5/1) – One of two runners with at least 30 starts and 6 wins, all of his victories came on turf and none have occurred since the calendar page turned to 2019. From 4 total dirt starts, he finished third both times that the track was rated fast and was off the board in the wet runnings.

2. King Abner (5/2) – The morning line favorite beat open company optional claimers while going 1 mile at Del Mar last fall, then finished second in the 1 1/16-mile San Antonio Stakes (G2) next time out at Santa Anita Park. He makes his second start off the layoff after running fourth in the state-bred Crystal Water Stakes on the Santa Anita Park turf.

3. Take the One O One (3/1) – The state’s 2018 Champion 3-Year-Old Male earned that honor after winning California-bred stakes on turf and dirt and while going short and long. He missed all of 2019 but won his third start of 2020 while making his first dirt appearance in nearly two years.

4. Three Ay Em (10/1) – Trainer Andrew Lerner claimed him for $20k out of his last start, his first of 2020, while defeating California-breds on the Santa Anita Park turf. Lerner won last year’s running with the mare Queen Bee to You and his barn’s newest addition has finished off the board just once since the start of last year (8-3-1-3 record during that span).

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5. Loud Mouth (20/1) – He stretches back out to two turns after five sprints this year, winning once while running for a $32k tag on Santa Anita Park’s turf. He has yet to win a fast dirt event, but he did break his maiden while sprinting on a sloppy surface, so give him a boost if the weather takes a turn.

6. Grinning Tiger (8/1) – He sprung a 92/1 shocker last time out while taking the field gate to wire on Santa Anita Park’s turf in the 1-mile Crystal Water Stakes. He won both prior local appearances while sprinting, one against state-breds and the other against open company.

7. Lymebyrd (8/1) – The other elder statesman with at least 30 starts and 6 wins, he makes his first trip south after racing exclusively on the northern California circuit since the fall of 2018. He broke his maiden over this course and distance in 2017 while running for a $20k tag, then repeated that effort next time out while going 1 mile at Del Mar against starter allowance foes.

8. Galilean (7/2) – One of the most expensive California-breds ever sold at auction ($600k final cost), he immediately paid dividends, winning his debut over this course while facing stakes company and repeating that twice more in his next 3 starts. He missed nearly a year after failing to make an impact on the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1) trail, but the Uncle Mo colt has sprinted twice this season should be ready to fire here in his third start off the extended layoff.