Galilean back with statebreds as he shortens up in California Flag Handicap

At the top of the stretch of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 23, Galilean and Mo Forza were racing alongside each other, but only for a few moments.

Within a few strides, Mo Forza was gone, drawing clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths. Mo Forza followed with a win in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita earlier this month to confirm his status as a leading contender for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Galilean is done with graded stakes for a while. Sunday, Galilean will start favored in the $100,000 California Flag Handicap for statebreds at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita.

Galilean has won stakes sprinting and on turf in his 11-race career, but has never run in a turf sprint. He made a successful debut on the surface with a half-length win as the 6-5 favorite in the California Dreamin’ Handicap for statebreds at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on July 26. At Los Alamitos on June 26, Galilean won a stakes for the first time in 16 months in the Soi Phet Stakes for California-bred milers.

In the California Flag Handicap, Galilean will start from the outside in a field of six.

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“It may not be his best distance, but he has a good draw,” trainer John Sadler said. “It’s one of the few things he hasn’t done is sprint on the grass. He handled the turf fine at Del Mar.”

In fairness, Galilean faced a tough field in the Del Mar Mile. He was bumped slightly in the stretch and finished 1 3/4 lengths behind runner-up Restrainedvengence in fifth.

“He had a little trouble or he would have been closer,” Sadler said.

Galilean should get a favorable trip in the California Flag. Mikes Tiznow is expected to set the pace, a style that has led to wins in the Albany Handicap at five furlongs on turf at Golden Gate Fields in 2019 and again in the same race on June 6. In his only subsequent start, Mikes Tiznow set the pace and ran fourth in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 22, finishing a length behind winner Chaos Theory.

Baja Sur will not be far from Mikes Tiznow early in the race. Baja Sur is quick enough to lead, but is more effective when following the pace. He was third early in the Green Flash before finishing second, about a head in front of Mikes Tiznow.

Baja Sur, a four-time stakes winner, breaks from post 4 and is likely to be in front of Galilean on the turn.

Trainer Blaine Wright said he was impressed by Baja Sur’s six-furlong workout in 1:14 at Golden Gate Fields on Oct. 4.

“He had a super work last week,” Wright said. “Galilean is the class of the race. Hopefully, we can make a run at Mikes Tiznow and hold off that other horse.”