Los Alamitos cancels Friday afternoon card

Los Alamitos canceled its Friday afternoon Thoroughbred card, with a track official stating concern for the greater Southern California racing community following a devastating fire at the San Luis Rey Downs training center on Thursday afternoon.

Horses were evacuated from San Luis Rey after a raging fire struck the northern San Diego County facility. An estimated 25 horses were lost in the fire. Others were not accounted for Thursday.

Thursday evening, many trainers with horses at San Luis Rey Downs were busy with the relocation of stock to Del Mar.

Los Alamitos plans to run its Quarter Horse and lower-level Thoroughbred program on Friday evening and run an afternoon program Saturday.

Reflecting on the decision to cancel the Friday afternoon program, Los Alamitos vice president Jack Liebau said in a statement, "This is a tragic blow to the California Thoroughbred racing industry and of great sorrow to everyone.

"We express our sympathy to the owners, trainers and caretakers of the horses victimized by this tragic event. We salute those who so bravely attempted to safeguard horses at San Luis Rey Downs in face of the swiftly approaching fire as well as those who transported horses to Del Mar under hazardous conditions and those who went to Del Mar to aid the horses moved there.”