Los Alamitos ready for its first spring thoroughbred meet

There’s no turf racing, and many of the horses are cheaper quality than you’ll find at Santa Anita and Del Mar, but the Southe Califoia horsemen stepped up in a big way to support the first two days of the inaugural Los Alamitos spring thoroughbred meet.

The 12-day season begins Thursday with an eight-race program that drew 76 horses — an average of more than nine per race. Friday’s card, which also includes eight races, has 77 horses.

First post is 2 p.m. daily, and racing will be conducted on a Thursday-Sunday basis until the meet concludes May 1.

Five stakes, including a pair of graded events, worth a guaranteed $625,000 highlight the Orange County meet.

The $200,000 Grade II Great Lady M., a holdover from the summer thoroughbred festival in July the past two years, is the richest of the stakes races. The 6 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, will be run Saturday, April 23. The Bob Baffert-trained Fantastic Lady is the defending champ.

On Saturday, the $100,000 Grade III Los Angeles Stakes, a longtime fixture at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita, will highlight an eight-race program.

A 5 1/2-furlong event, the Los Angeles attracted a field of six, including two-time Grade I wier Wild Dude and San Onofre, the ruer-up in last spring’s edition at Santa Anita. Wild Dude, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, has won seven of 20, and a victory Saturday would put the 6-year-old son of Wildcat Heir over $1 million in eaings. He’ll be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.

The $100,000 Bertrando Stakes, a one-mile event for 3-year-olds and up bred or sired in Califoia, will be run about an hour after the Los Angeles.

Soi Phet, a two-time stakes wier at Los Alamitos who was claimed for $16,000 in 2013 at Hollywood Park, will headline the seven-horse Bertrando. The 8-year-old gelded son of Tizbud will be trying to shake a 13-race losing streak and will have Desormeaux aboard. He hasn’t won since taking the Los Alamitos Mile by 7 1/4 lengths on Sept. 6, 2014 in track-record time of 1:33.95.

He’s won eight of 42 for eaings of $545,536.

Los Alamitos will also unveil the inaugural Califoia Chrome Stakes on Saturday, April 30. Named after the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes wier who recently won the $10 million Dubai World Cup and is based at Los Alamitos, the Califoia Chrome is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and will have a purse of $150,000.

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Califoia Chrome, trained by Art Sherman, became the richest horse ($12,532,650) in lifetime eaings in North American history when he easily won the Dubai race.

The Southland racing scene will shift back to Santa Anita begiing May 5.

LOS ALAMITOS RACING

What: Inaugural spring thoroughbred meet.

When: Today through Sunday, May 1.

Where: Los Alamitos Race Course

First post: 2 p.m. daily, Thursday through Sunday

Major races: Five stakes, including the $200,000 Great Lady M, $150,000 Califoia Chrome, and $100,000 Los Angeles.

More info: losalamitos.com