The first of three daytime thoroughbred meets this year at Los Alamitos will begin Saturday, June 22.
The eight-day Los Angeles County Fair season will continue through Sunday, July 7. Racing will be conducted Saturday-Sunday (June 22-23 and June 29-30) the first two weeks and Saturday-Thursday (July 4-7) the final week Post time is 1 p.m.
The highlight of the meet will be the $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M. Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Grade II for fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up) will be run Saturday, July 6.
The other two stakes to be run are the $100,000-guaranteed Bertrando for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California and the $125,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Derby. The one-mile Bertrando is the main event on opening day while the Los Alamitos Derby, which is contested at 1 1/8 miles, will be run Saturday, June 29.
The wagering menu includes the $2 Pick Six—with the traditional 70-30 split—a pair of $1 Pick 4's—races 2-5 and the final four races— as well as the popular Players' Pick 5—a 50-cent minimum wager with a reduced 14% takeout rate which is offered on the first five races.
The Los Alamitos Racing Association will also seed the Pick Six with $10,000 Saturday, June 29 and Saturday, July 6 provided there is no carryover.
There will also be a handicapping contest Saturday, July 6. The LARA will offer a cash prize and a pair of berths to the 2025 National Thoroughbred Racing Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.
Cost to enter is $500. Of that amount, $100 will be placed in the contest prize pool with the remaining $400 going towards a live money wagering card.
Tournament races will include the entire Los Alamitos card. Permitted wagers are win, place, show, exactas, trifectas and daily doubles. Each entry must bet at least $50 on a minimum of four races, but there is no wagering limit.
Owner-breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi, who combined to win the Bertrando with Desmond Doss in 2021 and 2022, will have two representatives in the 11th renewal of the race Saturday.
Lovesick Blues and Tom Horn, both winners over the local surface, are among six who were entered Tuesday.
A 6-year-old gelded son of Grazen and the Ministers Wild Cat mare Queenofthecastle, Lovesick Blues has won seven of 24 and banked $411,500. He's never been worse than third in five starts at Los Alamitos, including an easy win in an optional claimer Sept. 25, 2022 and a runner-up effort behind Kings River Knight in this race a year ago.
A winner June 9 at Santa Anita, Tom Horn, a 4-year-old Grazen colt out of the Tribal Rule mare Miranda Rose, is 4-for-9 with earnings of $146,460. He broke his maiden by four lengths vs. $50,000 state breds during the 2023 LACF season. The Bertrando will mark his first start beyond 6 ½ furlongs.
Owned by breeder J. Paul Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC and trained by Antonio Garcia, Dont Fight the Fed will be making his Los Alamitos debut. A Nyquist colt out of the Scat Daddy mare Taffeta, the 4-year-old returns to the dirt after finishing second, defeated by a neck by Red Cross Knight at the Bertrando distance on turf May 19. Dont Fight the Fed has won twice—both at eight furlongs—in seven appearances and banked $124,980.
A dominant gate-to-wire winner at one mile June 2 in Arcadia, Dick Best will make his local debut for owner Melvin Simonovich and trainer Librado Barocio. A gelded son of Stanford and the Grazen mare Sadie Clare, the 5-year-old has won seven of 25 while earning $144,130. Three of his wins have come in six main track appearances and he's been worse than third only once on dirt.
A seven-length winner the last time he competed here, Cowboy Mike will be looking for his fifth career victory for owner-breeder Connie Pageler and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. An earner of $204,494 in 11 races, the 4-year-old Smiling Tiger gelding out of the Maria's Mon mare Lutess has won two of three in 2024 with his loss coming by a neck as the 1-2 favorite in an optional claimer May 4 at Santa Anita.
None Above the Law will be trying to end an extended losing streak as he makes his fourth start for owner Hector Castrellon and trainer Jorge Periban since being claimed for $50,000 from Peter Miller Feb. 24. The 6-year-old gray son of Karakontie and the Northern Afleet mare Legally Blanca has dropped 19 in a row since taking the Grade II Del Mar Derby on turf Sept. 4, 2021. The gelding is 6-for-33 lifetime with earnings of $573,802.One of his wins came in his career debut at Los Alamitos. He rallied to graduate by one length against $50,000 state breds July 2, 2020 for Miller and owner-breeders J. Kirk and Judy Robison.
The Bertrando is the last of nine races Saturday. Approximate post time is 4:55 p.m.
From inside out, the field for the Bertrando Stakes: Dont Fight the Fed, Mario Gutierrez rides, 124 pounds; Dick Best, Ricardo Gonzalez, 124; Cowboy Mike, Edwin Maldonado, 124; None Above the Law, Antonio Fresu, 124; Tom Horn, Tyler Baze, 124 and Lovesick Blues, Kyle Frey, 124.
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