Los Alamitos offers bettors a challenging test of events to hone their handicapping skills and, with the relatively new change in the scenery of the racing in Southern California, it is welcomed. The meeting will run till September 25.
One of the reasons that Los Alamitos offers options to bettors is because of the track itself. The Los Alamitos track was elongated to a mile in the last couple of years and the job was overseen by track consultant Dennis Moore, who is widely considered by many to be the leading track designer and maintenance experts in the country.
There was thoroughbred racing at Los Alamitos in the late 1970s, but for most of the recent decades it was a home for quarter horses. Another reason that Los Alamitos offers bettors options is because of the long stretch. The track now features a homestretch that is nearly 1,400 feet long, slightly longer than the homestretch at the Fair Grounds, which until recently was considered the longest homestretch in American racing.
Dreamers make this country and the world go around and the founder of Los Alamitos was one of the biggest ever.
Frank Vessels was the prime mover at Los Alamitos. He came to California from Kentucky with $19 to his name, but made a bundle in the construction business and parlayed that to buying a 435-acre ranch in 1947.
What started out modestly as just match races turned into Los Alamitos Race Course in 1951. The stakes schedule this meeting is modest but still important. This weekend the $100,000-guaranteed Barretts Debutante and the $100,000-guaranteed Barretts Juvenile will be renewed.
The highlight of the meeting is the $200,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Derby on September 24. The 9-furlong fixture for sophomores will attract stars, but some of the lesser lights on the circuit.
Los Alamitos offers bettors a wide variety to choose from as far as riders and trainers are concerned. Last year at the fall meeting Bob Baffert was loaded. The conditioner only sent out 18 runners. but 6 won and 4 others ran in the money. Steve Miyadi hit with 36% of his starters at the fall meet in 2015 and some less fashionable trainers had solid success.
Molly Pearson, who is based at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, won with 2 of her 6 starters and two ran third. Sean McCarthy, who does well year in and year out with limited starters, saddled 4 horses here last fall and two won. Kenny Black, a former extremely talented jockey, won with both of his starters.
The riders are another way that Los Alamitos offers bettors variety. The top jockeys in the game pretty much take Los Alamitos off waiting for Santa Anita to reopen so the meeting gives up and coming riders a shot to star.
Last year Fernando Perez took full advantage of that situation. He won 32% of his mounts at the fall meeting and cruised to the riding title. The next three riders, Tiago Pereira, Martin Garcia and Edwin Maldonado where bunched and within a winner of each other at the end of the meeting.
Maldonado’s shoes will have to be filled as he recently suffered broken ribs and will be out for 3 to 6 months. Somebody figures to step up and take his mounts.
When the high-profile riders do show up at Los Al, pay attention. Flavien Prat, who tied with Rafael Bejarano as the leading rider at the recently concluded Del Mar meet, won with 4 of his 9 mounts last season and 3 others ran in the money. Martin Pedroza, who is one of the most underrated riders in the country, won with 3 of his 5 Los Al mounts at this meet in 2015.
Los Alamitos offers bettors who prefer speed a solid gateway for success. On opening day of this meeting, half of the winners were close-up early and were victorious. On the second day of the meet, no winner came from farther than 2 lengths off the pace. On September 10, the third day of the meeting, 7 of the 9 winners were within 2 lengths of the leader at all times.
The morale of the story is that although closers can win at times, think long and hard before betting long-fused horses this meeting.
The reality, to be frank, is that Los Alamitos offers bettors a chance to identify the speed and roll with it.
