Neal and Pam Christopherson of Oregon-based Bar C Racing Stables were honored with the 2019 California Diamond Award in recognition for breeding Galilean (Uncle Mo), the leading California-bred 2-year-old earner of 2018 sold at public auction. Produced by the El Prado (Ire) mare Fresia and foaled at Harris Farms in California, the colt led all California-bred 2-year-old auction graduates last year with earnings of $151,000. Galilean, who kicked off 2019 with an easy victory in Santa Anita's California Cup Derby Feb. 18, has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line second choice in one of two divisions of this afternoon's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn.
A $60,000 purchase by Quarter Pole Enterprises from the Bar C Racing Stables consignment at the 2017 Barretts August Select Yearling Sale at Del Mar, Galilean was sent from California to Eddie Woods Training Center in Florida for early conditioning and subsequently re-sold by Woods to West Point Thoroughbreds back in his home state for a sale-topping $600,000 at the 2018 Barretts Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Campaigned by West Point in partnership with Denise Barker and William Sandbrook, Galilean made his winning debut for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in the Barretts Juvenile S. at Los Alamitos Race Course last September. He followed up with a narrow second-place effort behind California champion juvenile Male Cruel Intention next time out in Santa Anita's Golden State Juvenile S., before closing out his 2018 season with a romp in the King Glorious S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 16.
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