Los Alamitos Derby rescheduled because of lack of entries

The $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby (G3) scheduled for Saturday has been pushed back a day after it attracted only four entries on Wednesday.

Of the eight nominees to the 1 1/8-mile Los Alamitos Derby, racing secretary Bob Moreno said the only horses entered were Defunded for Bob Baffert, Ingest for Doug O’Neill, It’s My House for Bob Hess Jr., and Back Ring Luck for John Sadler.

Los Alamitos will open entries again on Thursday in hopes that the race will run on Sunday, the penultimate day of its short summer meet.

“If the same four horses are entered, it’s up to Los Alamitos management and the (Thoroughbred Owners of California) if they want to use it,” Moreno said.

The four other horses nominated to the Los Alamitos Derby are Classier (Baffert), Hudson Ridge (Baffert), Mr. Impossible (Simon Callaghan) and Mucho Del Oro (Hess Jr.)

Moreno was hopeful a fifth horse would be added, though not particularly optimistic.

“It’s possible,” he said. “There were a couple nominated that weren’t entered. Baffert has another one and there are a couple that are possibilities. I doubt it, to be honest with you. But even if it gets one more, that would be a big get for us.”

Los Alamitos opened its seven-day Thoroughbred stand on June 25. Wedged between the closing of Santa Anita and the opening of Del Mar, Moreno noted it has been generally a challenge to put together adequate programs.

“It's been kind of tough,” Moreno said. “But it always is, being after Santa Anita and with Del Mar coming up with those nice purses. But we’re hanging in there.”