Los Alamitos Winter Meet Begins Thursday

The third Thoroughbred meet of 2014 at Los Alamitos will begin Thursday, Dec. 4.

The 12-day Winter season follows the 11-day Fall meet in September and the inaugural Summer Thoroughbred Festival, an eight-day season in July.

Racing will be conducted on a Thursday-Sunday basis through Dec. 21. Post time daily will be 12:30 p.m.

Five stakes – all holdovers from Hollywood Park, which ceased live racing last Dec. 22 – worth $1.45 million will be contested before the meet wraps.

The $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity – formerly known as the Hollywood Futurity and, more recently, the CashCall Futurity – is the most lucrative race of the season. The 1 1/16 mile race for 2-year-olds will be run Saturday, Dec. 20.

A Grade I, the Futurity is one of the races on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby’’ with the winner receiving 10 points towards a berth in the Kentucky Derby next May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Among the leading candidates for the Futurity is Dortmund, who is undefeated in two starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, including an impressive allowance victory Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. Baffert won the Futurity a record six times at Hollywood Park, most recently scoring with Liaison in 2011.

The other Grade I is the $300,000 Starlet for 2-year-old fillies. The 1 1-16 mile race, which is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks’’ series, will be run Saturday, Dec. 13.

Take Charge Brandi, the surprise winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1 at Santa Anita and the Delta Princess three weeks later in Louisiana, is expected to start in the Starlet, hoping to enhance her chances of winning the Eclipse Award as the nation’s champion 2-year-old filly.

A daughter of Giant’s Causeway, Take Charge Brandi is trained by D. Wayne Lukas, a member of both the thoroughbred and quarter horse Hall of Fame and a winner of numerous major stakes races when based at Los Alamitos in the 1970’s.

The other graded stakes to be presented is the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. The Grade II will be run Saturday, Dec. 6.

A concert featuring the tribute band Mick Adams and the Stones will be offered at the conclusion of the races Dec. 6 and prior to the start of the nighttime quarter horse card.

Completing the stakes program are a pair of races for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California – the $200,000 Soviet Problem for fillies and the $200,000 King Glorious.

The Soviet Problem will be contested Sunday, Dec. 7 while the King Glorious, which was won a year ago by eventual Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome, who has been stabled at Los Alamitos since the beginning of the year, will be run Sunday, Dec. 14. The races are one mile after being run at seven furlongs the previous two years at Hollywood Park.

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).

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 extremely popular Players’ Pick 5 – a 50-cent minimum wager with a reduced 14% takeout rate which is offered on the first five races.

Field size is strong for opening day with 83 horses entered in eight races.

The main event is the seventh, a $46,000 optional claimer for 3-year-olds & up at one mile.

Toledo Eddie returns to his preferred surface as he makes his Los Alamitos debut for owner Art Elbert and trainer Craig Dollase.

A 5-year-old gelded son of Ministers Wild Cat and the Cape Town mare Cape Town Charmer, Toledo Eddie was second behind Play Hard to Get on the turf at Del Mar in his most recent start Nov. 15 at Del Mar.

A winner of eight of 27 with earnings of $194,261, the Idaho bred has collected seven of his victories in 11 attempts on dirt.

From inside out, the field: Durango Flier, Mario Gutierrez rides, 122 pounds; Flat Gone, Fernando Perez, 122; Toledo Eddie, Drayden Van Dyke, 119; Day of Fury, Gary Stevens, 122; American Act, Martin Pedroza, 121; Wrightwood, Rafael Bejarano, 122; Timeless Indy, Elvis Trujillo, 124; Hello Frankie, Alonso Quinonez, 124; Knock Em Flat, Joe Talamo, 122; Got Even, Edwin Maldonado, 124 and also-eligibles Lolo El Canonero, Trujillo, 119 and Compari, Tyler Baze, 124.

Source: Los Alamitos Race Course