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Soi Phet and California Dreamin’ Stakes
Cal-bred Galilean captures the Soi Phet Stakes, previously the Bertrando Stakes, at Los Alamitos
REACHING FOR THE STARS
GALILEAN WITHIN A MONTH WON THE SOI PHET AT LOS ALAMITOS AND THE CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ AT DEL MAR BY TRACY GANTZ
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or the frst time in the history of what was originally the Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos, former claimer and eventual millionaire Soi Phet did not compete. Twice winner of the race in six attempts, the now-retired Soi Phet is today remembered with the race being renamed for him. Te renewal June 27 brought together a talented group of seven California-breds and one Oregon-bred, Grinning Tiger, a son of California sire
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Smiling Tiger. Several had multiple stakes credentials, but the standout, according to bettors, was Galilean, sent of as the even-money favorite. Galilean has stood out in a crowd most of his life. K. Neal and Pam Christopherson bought the son of Uncle Mo in utero in the name of their Bar C Racing Stables when they paid $35,000 for his dam, the El Prado mare Fresia, at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. Fresia produced Galilean in 2016 at John Harris’ Harris Ranch in Coalinga, and the colt was a looker from the outset. He sold for $60,000 at the 2017 Barretts select yearling sale and developed into an even more attractive
CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED ❙ August 2020 ❙ www.ctba.com
2-year-old sale prospect. Consigned by Eddie Woods to the 2018 Barretts spring 2-year-old sale, Galilean impressed buyers to such an extent that he topped the sale at $600,000. Terry Finley of West Point Toroughbreds signed the ticket, saying at the time, “I just thought he was a beautiful horse that would have ft in any of the sales.” Under Jerry Hollendorfer’s tutelage at 2 and 3, Galilean won the 2018 Barretts Juvenile Stakes and King Glorious Stakes and the 2019 California Cup Derby. He also fnished third in a division of the 2019 Rebel Stakes (G2). Prior to the 2019 Arkansas Derby (G1), West Point sold an interest in
