Galilean survives inquiry, takes California Flag Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. - Galilean obliged as the favorite in Sunday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap for statebred turf sprinters at Santa Anita, but only after the stewards conducted a seven-minute inquiry into the stretch run.

Galilean ($5) finished a head in front of 9-2 Ultimate Bango, who led by a half-length with a furlong remaining. Galilean drifted to the inside from an outside position in the final sixteenth, which forced jockey Mario Gutierrez on 9-1 Rookie Mistake to steady his mount.

After a lengthy review, there was no change to the order of finish. The stewards ruled the incident did not cost eventual third-place finisher Rookie Mistake a better placing. Rookie Mistake finished 1 1/4 lengths behind runner-up Ultimate Bango.

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Winning jockey Umberto Rispoli was frustrated by the inquiry and how new whip restrictions enacted by the California Horse Racing Board on Oct. 1 limit how jockeys can ride mounts failing to keeping a straight course. Riders are restricted from striking a horse more than twice in succession and are limited to six under-handed strikes in a race.

“My horse didn’t want to switch leads,” Rispoli said. “He was lugging in the whole way. I couldn’t do anything.

“If he stayed straight, I would have won by three lengths.”

Galilean ran about 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:02.13 and won by a head over Ultimate Bango. Galilean earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

Rookie Mistake was followed by Baja Sur, who stumbled at the start, and pacesetter Mikes Tiznow, who set an early pace of 22.71 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.09 for a half-mile before fading from contention through the stretch.

Galilean, a 4-year-old colt by Uncle Mo, has won 6 of 12 starts and has earned $577,098. Owned by the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds, the Coolmore partnership, Denise Barker, and William Sandbrook, Galilean is trained by John Sadler.

The California Flag Handicap was Galilean’s fifth stakes win, all in statebred races.

Sadler said Galilean will be considered for the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes for statebreds at seven furlongs on dirt at Del Mar on Nov. 22.