Los Alamitos meet averages over $5 million in daily handle

Los Alamitos wrapped its first Summer Thoroughbred Festival Sunday, averaging

$5,070,966 daily in total combined mutuel handle.

"It was a great first step for Los Alamitos," said Brad McKinzie, vice

president and general manager of the Los Alamitos Racing Association. "We put on

a good show and that was our main goal. We could always use more horses, but

everybody could use more horses. We're happy."

The first Thoroughbred meet at the venue since the final Orange County Fair

season in 1991 was highlighted by the victory of Shared Belief, the undefeated

champion two-year-old of 2013, in the Los Alamitos Derby July 5.

In his first appearance on dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer

and a large ownership group that includes sports radio and television

personality Jim Rome, Shared Belief, under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, was

dominant in the $500,500 feature over 1 1/8 miles.

In the process, he won the first leg of the $1 million Bolton Challenge.

Sponsored by the Los Alamitos Racing Association and the California-based

insurance brokerage firm Bolton & Company, the Challenge will award the

seven-figure prize to a horse able to win the Los Alamitos Derby, the $1 million

Pacific Classic at Del Mar August 24 and the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at

Santa Anita on November 1.

Hollendorfer and Smith also combined to win the eight-day meet's other graded

race, capturing the $200,500 Great Lady M. on July 12 with the California-bred

Doinghardtimeagain.

Thoroughbred racing will return to Los Alamitos in September. The California

Horse Racing Board voted unanimously in June to transfer the dates formerly run

at Fairplex Park in Pomona to Los Alamitos.

The 11-day season will commence September 5 and continue through September

21. Apart from opening weekend, racing will be conducted on a Thursday-Sunday

basis.

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