Chalk up another win for Los Alamitos Race Course in its efforts to become a permanent home for a bigger take of Southern California’s nomadic thoroughbred circuit since the December closure of 75-year-old Betfair Hollywood Park.
The North OC track just posted one of the most lucrative days in its 63-year history, a good start out of the gate for a three-week racing leg that wasn’t even on the calendar a few months ago.
The added dates of Sept. 5 through 21 kicked off a five-year deal with Fairplex Park to take over a fall thoroughbred schedule that had run at the Los Angeles County Fair since September 1933.
“We were very interested in picking up some more dates. The L.A. County Fair at Fairplex was looking at possibly cutting back on live racing,” said Brad McKinzie, a consultant to Los Alamitos Race Course and longtime owner Dr. Ed “Doc” Allred. “[The deal] answered both of our problems.”
Under the deal, Los Alamitos covers all operating expenses, and the L.A. County Fair gets 3.5% of revenue from wagers. Track officials also had to assure the California Horse Racing Board and unions that the 200-plus workers on race day wouldn’t lose their jobs.
Los Alamitos, months ago considered a dark horse to become a hub for thoroughbred racing in the state, has become a favorite seemingly overnight and now has the inside rail to permanently take over live racing from Fairplex, which has signaled it would have to invest upward of $40 million to upgrade its track to a premier venue like Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, considered among the best in the sport.
Financial hurdles and the small track at Fairplex have hindered attracting the top horses and trainers in the industry, according to Michael Chee, the complex’ director of marketing and public relations.
“The development and increased cost is just not something we’re expecting or really want to do right now,” he said. “There’s better opportunity to grow at Los Alamitos just because of the higher quality of their facility.”
Renovation
The racetrack, which opened its gates in 1951 to cater to sprinting quarter horses, recently completed a $6 million renovation to prep the grounds for an influx of horses whose owners had to find new training grounds after Hollywood Park in Inglewood closed.
It was the first major renovation at Los Alamitos since the $7 million addition of the Vessels turf club in 1993—and a gamble for Allred, a die-hard racing fan who’s known to play the ponies.
So far, the bet’s paid off, with the track securing 20 extra days of racing in July and December from the closure of Hollywood Park, before the development with Fairplex, which is now staging entertainment, RVs, food vendors, and a zip line on the track’s in-field during the fair. Future plans include hosting outdoor festivals, concerts, and other large-scale entertainment, according to Chee.
Los Alamitos drew an estimated 7,000 fans on a sweltering afternoon Sept. 5, a strong showing that was bolstered by a midrace workout from hometown hero California Chrome, which trained there before his captivating run in the elusive Triple Crown that ended with the colt falling short at the Belmont Stakes. Affirmed was the last horse to do it in 1978.
The track draws about 1,500 visitors on a typical day.
“We saw one of the best days Los Alamitos has had,” McKinzie said.
The excitement was palpable as onlookers dressed in Chrome’s purple and gold crowded along the rails to cheer on the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner as he trotted around the track with a work horse before hitting full stride in a six-furlong solo sprint to the finish line.
“It was a very gratifying moment for all of us. It showed that the sport still has drawing power,” McKinzie said.
The following day, 3,000 visitors came to the track, proving it wasn’t just a one-day fluke. The weekend handle of local, satellite, and online wagering for races at Los Alamitos topped $4.4 million, about 22% higher than Fairplex pulled in last year.
“The idea we could be better with these days in Orange County than what they could in Pomona turned out to be true,” McKinzie said. “We’re getting a lot of new people coming out to the race track for the first time.”
Questions remain in the revamped thoroughbred circuit that required Santa Anita to extend its racing season by about six weeks from mid-April through June and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in San Diego County to add four weeks of fall racing to its two-month summer session, but the cloud of doubt that hung over Los Alamitos and the regional racing industry has started to dissipate.
“With the closure of Hollywood Park, the Southern California thoroughbred circuit is still trying to find its way,” McKinzie said. “Now everybody is talking about long-range placements and commitments. We’re on an upward trend for the first time in a long time. We haven’t seen this kind of change in this industry in 60 years.”
