Los Alamitos opens next Friday, will host 5 stakes in 6 days

Five stakes worth a combined $700,000 highlight the 2023 winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos.

The six-day season will begin Friday, Dec. 8 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 17. Racing will be conducted Friday-Sunday both weeks. Post time will be 3:30 p.m. EST.

The first of the stakes races is the Grade 2, $200,000-guaranteed Starlet for 2-year-old fillies. The race at 1 1/16 miles will be run Saturday, Dec. 9.

One week later, the $200,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) will be offered. The race, which also will be run at 1 1/16 miles, is for 2-year-olds and offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers.

The schedule also includes a pair of races at one mile for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California. The $100,000-guaranteed Soviet Problem for fillies will be run Sunday, Dec. 10 while the King Glorious for colts and geldings will be contested Sunday, Dec. 17.

The other stakes is the Bayakoa (G3) for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at 1 1/16 miles. The Bayakoa will be contested Friday, Dec. 15.

The wagering menu includes a pair of $1 pick 4s on races 2-5 and the final four races along with a $2 pick 6 as well as the Players’ Pick 5, a 50-cent minimum bet with a reduced takeout rate of 14 percent rate, on the first five races.

The Pick 6 will have the standard 70-30 split with 70 percent of the pool going to those tickets with six winners and the remaining 30 percent going to tickets with five of six winners.

Entries for opening day of the Winter Thoroughbred meet will be taken Tuesday, Dec. 5.