Los Alamitos cancels weekend racing due to weather conditions

Los Alamitos canceled racing from Friday through Sunday evenings because of wet conditions, track officials said on Friday.

The decision was made Friday morning after approximately two inches of rain fell on the Orange County track from early Thursday to mid-morning on Friday. Entries were taken for Friday and Saturday, but entries were not completed for Sunday.

“We didn’t want to race on it at night,” said Brad McKinzie, the general manager of the track’s Thoroughbred operation. “The weather is miserable. It’s a constant rain.”

The main track was closed for training on Friday, but was scheduled to be open for training on Saturday, McKinzie said. Los Alamitos expanded its track from five-eighths to a mile in January to accommodate Southern California Thoroughbreds for year-round training and for Thoroughbred race meetings in July and December.

The canceled races are part of the track’s year-round meeting for Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds. Los Alamitos has struggled to fill races in recent weeks, delaying entries until late afternoon on some days.

This weekend, the track had taken entries for eight-race programs that drew 52 entries for Friday and 49 for Saturday.