Beverly J. Lewis Stakes Opening Day Feature at Los Al

The second Fall Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos will commence Thursday, Sept. 10.

The 10-day season comes on the heels of a successful Summer Thoroughbred Festival, which showed a 12.7% increase in all-sources mutuel handle over the corresponding July in 2014.

After opening with a pair of four- day race weeks – Thursday-Sunday - the Fall meet will wrap with racing Thursday, Sept. 24 and Friday, Sept. 25.

A newly-created Starter Showdown Series – with purses totaling $175,000 – plus five stakes – including three for 2-year-olds - worth $425,000 will be offered during the season.

The Starter Showdown Series, which be run closing day, is topped by the $45,000 Seal Beach Stakes for 3-year-olds & up at six furlongs. There are four other races in the Series – ranging in distance from 5 ½ furlongs to one mile – for horses eligible for $8,000, $16,000 and $25,000 starter allowance contests.

The two richest races of the meet are the $100,000 Barretts Debutante for 2-year-old fillies (Sept. 19) and the $100,000 Barretts Juvenile for 2-year-old colts & geldings the following day.

Post time daily will be 2 p.m. Track gates – including the Clubhouse and Vessels Club – will open at 9:30 a.m. General parking is free with grandstand admission $3 ($2 for seniors).

Every patron with paid admission during the season will receive a complimentary voucher – while supplies last – for free admission to the Los Angeles County Fair, which began Friday, Sept. 4 and continues through Sunday, Sept. 27 in Pomona.

The wagering menu includes the Pick Six, a pair of 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.

Three-year-old fillies will be in the spotlight in the opening day feature, the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis Stakes.

Won a year ago by Uzziel, the Lewis, which is run at 6 ½ furlongs, attracted five entrants and is the seventh of eight races.

Dr. Fager’s Gal will be making her Los Alamitos debut for owners Luke Allen, Ed Bloom, Jose Singer and Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. A daughter of Wild Desert and the Quiet American mare Whispered, Dr. Fager’s Gal has won two of six and earned $105,380.

Hollendorfer will also be represented by Colerful Bride, who is making her first start in California since being privately purchased.

Owned by Edward D. Taylor, the Munnings filly out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Appealing Bride has two wins in five starts and has banked $91,510.

The gray has been worse than second only once in her career, winning a maiden race on the turf at Fair Grounds March 27 and taking the Bob Bryant Stakes against fellow Iowa breds May 29 at Prairie Meadows.

Little Emma returns to the scene of her maiden victory for owner Martin Moeller and trainer Vladimir Cerin.

A first-out winner against $30,000 maidens July 5 at Los Alamitos, the Eskendereya filly was claimed for $25,000 by her current connections July 19 at Del Mar and responded with a 2 ½ length victory 13 days later. Out of the Rahy mare Miss Utada, Little Emma has earned $35,650 in three races.

Windy Forecast returns to her preferred surface – dirt – after finishing fifth of eight in the Daisycutter Handicap on the Del Mar turf last month.

Owned by TNIP Racing and Lendy and Darrell Brown and trained by Simon Callaghan, the Stormy Atlantic filly has earned both of her wins on dirt.

Out of the Forty Niner mare Scapegoat, Windy Forecast broke her maiden last Oct. 19 at Santa Anita, then collected her other victory in the Pleasanton Oaks June 21 at Oak Tree/Pleasanton. She’s banked $101,992 in nine starts.

Campionessa Dolce shortens up after trailing in an optional claimer at one mile July 22 at Del Mar.

Trained by Carla Gaines for owners Robert and Betty Irvin, the daughter of Hard Spun and the A.P. Indy mare Campionessa has won twice in five starts and earned $33,860. Both of her victories came over the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields when trained by Greg James.

From inside out, the field for the Beverly J. Lewis Stakes:  Colerful Bride, Mike Smith rides, 122 pounds; Dr. Fager’s Gal, Martin Pedroza, 120; Windy Forecast, Fernando Perez, 122; Little Emma, Santiago Gonzalez, 118 and Campionessa Dolce, Mario Gutierrez, 120.