Bertrando Stakes highlights Los Alamitos opening day
As Los Alamitos prepares to begin its L.A. County Fair meet today, track vice president Jack Liebau was asked if embattled trainer Richard Baltas will be allowed to race and train horses at the Orange County track this summer.
The California Horse Racing Board this week issued a complaint against Baltas, alleging that surveillance video caught the 61-year-old trainer’s employees administering a substance on the days they were scheduled to race in violation of the CHRB’s rules.
On May 8, 1ST/Racing, formerly known as the Stronach Group and which operates Santa Anita, banned Baltas from racing or training horses at its tracks, including Golden Gate Fields in Northern California, pending an investigation. Baltas has run six horses at Churchill Downs and one at Lone Star Park in Texas since the 1ST/ Racing ban went into effect. He has been ordered to appear before the board of stewards at Los Alamitos on July 1.
“At this point in time, I understand his horses in California (about 80) have been distributed to other trainers,” Liebau said during a telephone interview. “I would say it’s sort of an academic question because I don’t think we will be faced with that issue. If we are, we will leave the decision up to the stewards.”
The nine-day Fair season, the first of three daytime thoroughbred meets to be hosted by Los Alamitos this year, will conclude
Key facts about Los Alamitos’ nine-day thoroughbred meet, which begins today and runs through Sunday, July 10:
• First post: 2 p.m. daily.
• Graded stakes: The $200,000 Grade II Great Lady M. for fillies and mares at 6 1⁄2 furlongs on
July 4.
• Pick Six: Los Alamitos, unlike Santa Anita and Del Mar, will have the standard 70-30split for its $2 wager, with 70% of the pool going to ticket holders with six winners and the remaining 30% going to tickets with five of six winners. More info: losalamitos.com
July 10. Racing will be conducted today-Sunday the first week, Friday-Monday the second week and Friday through Sunday
the final week. First post is 2 p.m. daily.
The meet will include three stakes races — the opening-day $100,000 Bertrando Stakes at a mile for 3-year-olds and up bred or sired in California, the $200,000 Grade II Great Lady M. for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs on July 4 and the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds at a mile and one eighth July 9.
The Bertrando drew a field of five, including last year’s winner, the Steven Miyadi-trained Desmond Doss, who prepped for the race with a 2 ¼-length victory in the Thors Echo stakes for state breds at Santa Anita on May 28. Juan Hernandez retains the mount on the 6-yearold son of Grazen.
The John Sadler-trained Loud Mouth and Fashionably Fast, a 7-year-old Lucky Pulpit gelding, could be Desmond Moss’ main competition. Fashionably Fast has won 9 of 30 starts for $717,623 in earnings.
Abel Cedillo comfortably won last year’s jockey standings at the Fair meet, outdistancing Kyle Frey 18-10. Peter Miller edged Miyadi 7-6 for the training title. Last year’s Fair meet, which included 10 racing days, was held in September (Sept. 10-26) following Del Mar’s summer meet and Los Alamitos’ Summer Thoroughbred Festival (June 25-July 5).
The wagering menu includes the traditional Pick Six with the 70-30 split, the popular Players’ Pick 5, a minimum 50-cent wager with a reduced takeout of 14% offered on the first five races, and a pair of $1 Pick 4’s — races 2-5 and the final four races.