Bayakoa Stakes to be run at Los Alamitos winter meeting

The Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes will be run at the Los Alamitos winter meeting in December, but at a cost.

Overnight purses will be reduced to finance the $200,000 race for fillies and mares, Jack Liebau of Los Alamitos and Greg Avioli of the Thoroughbred Owners of California said on Thursday.

The two groups held discussions in recent weeks about whether the Bayakoa Stakes would be held. The race was run at Hollywood Park until that track’s closure in 2013. In 2014, the Bayakoa Stakes was run at Los Alamitos. The race was not run in 2015. Last year, the Bayakoa Stakes was held at Del Mar.

Avioli said on Thursday that a graded stakes is allowed to take a one-year hiatus, but must be run in two of three successive years to maintain its graded status. The Bayakoa Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles.

“The TOC believes that maintaining graded stakes is a main priority,” Avioli said.

He said overnight purses would undergo a “minor reduction.” Details were not immediately available.

Avioli said the Bayakoa must draw six entrants or Los Alamitos “does not have the obligation to run the race.” Conditions will state for owners to pay $1,500 to enter and $1,500 to start.

With the Bayakoa, there are three graded stakes scheduled for the winter meeting, which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17. Two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles worth $300,000 – the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity and Starlet Stakes for fillies – are scheduled for Dec. 9.

Handle dips at Los Angeles county fair meeting at Los Alamitos

The Los Angeles county fair meeting at Los Alamitos that ended on Sept. 24 showed a slight decline in all-sources handle, according to a statement released by the track on Thursday.

Handle from ontrack, account wagering and out-of-state sources, was $62.7 million compared to $63.1 million in 2016. Handle from California sources grew less than 1 percent, rising to $41.9 million compared to $41.6 million in 2016.

The meeting averaged 6.93 runners per race compared to 7.04 runners per race in 2016.

Apprentice jockey Evin Roman led all riders with 17 wins, five more than Brayan Pena. Doug O’Neill was leading trainer with six wins, one more than Jeff Bonde and Molly Pearson.