Los Alamitos fall-meet handle up despite lower attendance

CYPRESS, Calif. – Less was more during opening weekend of the fall Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. After replacing the Los Angeles County Fair as the bridge from summer at Del Mar to fall at Santa Anita, Los Alamitos generated higher handle figures than the fair.

Los Alamitos ran six fewer races than were run last year on opening weekend at Fairplex Park (26 this year, 32 last year). But handle still was 13 percent higher at Los Alamitos. Based on figures supplied by Los Alamitos, combined handle Friday, Saturday, and Sunday topped $14.7 million. Fairplex handled $13 million during the same three days in 2013.

Through the first three days of the meet, attendance was lower at Los Alamitos. Average attendance during opening weekend was 2,657, including a Saturday crowd of 3,937 for the inaugural running of the $200,750 Los Alamitos Mile and a between-races workout by dual classic winner California Chrome.

During opening weekend at the fair a year ago, average attendance was 3,727. That is an estimated figure based partly on program sales. Admission to the races was free with admission to the fair.

While early numbers bode well for Los Alamitos, it is premature to suggest that the meet is more successful than the Los Angeles County Fair meet. Business at the fair tended to build as the meet unfolded and historically culminated with a big closing weekend.

The challenge for Los Alamitos is maintaining momentum, having already run the meet’s biggest race along with an attractive promotional draw in Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome’s workout.

Average field size during the first three days at Los Alamitos was 7.88 per race; favorites won 28 percent (10 of 36) of the time.