Los Alamitos meet averages $5.6 million in daily handle

Los Alamitos ended a successful first Winter Thoroughbred meet Sunday,

averaging $5,640,866 in daily total combined mutuel handle and showing a sizable

gain in wagering out of state.

"This meet did exactly what we hoped it would do in that we continued to show

growth, most particularly out-of-state handle," said Brad McKinzie, vice

president and general manager of the Los Alamitos Racing Association. "Through

Saturday (December 20), we were up over $320,000 a day out of state if you look

at the numbers from the (September) Fall meet to this meet ($1,850,163 in

December compared to $1,526,553 three months earlier).

"We accomplished exactly what we set out to do. I'm happy."

Rainy weather contributed to a slight decline in average field size from the

Fall meet, but the average of 7.46 starters per race was up over the Summer

Thoroughbred Festival (6.99 starters) in July.

The highlights of the 12-day Winter season were Grade 1 victories by Take

Charge Brandi in the $350,500 Starlet December 13 and Dortmund in the $500,000

Los Alamitos Futurity one week later.

"If the Starlet and the Los Alamitos Futurity don't give us credibility

around the country that we are running quality races, I don't know what will,"

McKinzie said.

Thoroughbred racing will return to Los Alamitos next July. The second Summer

Thoroughbred Festival, which will begin July 2 and continue through July 12, is

the first of three scheduled meets in the coming year.

The Fall season will commence September 10 and conclude September 25, while

the Winter meet begins December 3 and wraps up December 20.

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