Galilean, Desmond Doss regroup in E.B. Johnston Stakes

The Del Mar summer meeting was not a successful season for the California-bred stakes winners Desmond Doss and Galilean, who meet for the second time this year in Sunday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for statebred milers at Los Alamitos.

Galilean and Desmond Doss were sixth and ninth in the California Dreamin’ Stakes for statebreds on turf at Del Mar on July 25. Galilean started one more time at Del Mar, finishing fifth as the 5-2 favorite in an allowance race against open company on Aug. 29.

A return to dirt, and to Los Alamitos, could revive their 2021 seasons.

Galilean, trained by John Sadler, won the Soi Phet Stakes for California-bred milers at Los Alamitos in June 2020, and is unbeaten in three career starts at the track. A winner of 6 of 15 starts, Galilean is winless in three starts since winning the California Flag Handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita last October.

Desmond Doss won the Bertrando Stakes for statebred milers at Los Alamitos on June 26. Desmond Doss rallied wide on the turn and in early stretch to win by a half-length over Tom’s Surprise, who is part of the Johnston field.

“I’m hoping the Desmond that ran in the Bertrando and some of the other races shows up,” said owner and breeder Nick Alexander.

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The loss in the California Dreamin’ Stakes left Alexander surprised.

“He threw in his first stinker in his last race,” Alexander said. “He came off the bit halfway through the race. That was a little bit of an enigma. He’s trained forwardly since then. We expect Desmond to show up.”

Kyle Frey rides Desmond Doss for the first time in the Johnston.

Galilean, purchased for $600,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale in 2018, will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, who was aboard the 5-year-old horse for a win in his first start in the Barretts Juvenile Stakes at Los Alamitos in September 2018. At the time, Galilean was trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

The Johnston drew a field of six, including the two-time stakes winner Big Fish, the lone 3-year-old in the field.

Peaceful Transfer, who once raced as Royal Trump, won an allowance race at a mile at Los Alamitos in June against open company and rates as a contender with a repeat of that performance.

Tom’s Surprise followed his game performance behind Desmond Doss in the Bertrando with a nose loss in a starter allowance at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 16.

Loud Mouth, who will be a longshot on Sunday, won the Cary Grant Stakes for statebred sprinters at Del Mar last November, but has not raced since a fourth in the Thor’s Echo Stakes for statebred sprinters at Santa Anita in June.

Big Fish won the California Cup Derby on dirt in January and was sidelined with injury in the following months.

“He’s really matured and grown up,” trainer David Hofmans said. “I think he’s not quite 100 percent fit for this, but it’s a good starting point for going farther.

“It’s not an easy spot.”