Los Alamitos posts gains in total handle, field size

CYPRESS, Calif. – Los Alamitos ended its summer Thoroughbred meeting Sunday with a 12.7 percent increase in all-sources handle but a decline in attendance and ontrack handle compared with the corresponding meeting in 2014. The meet began July 2.

Total all-sources handle for the eight-day meeting, including nationwide simulcasting and account-wagering sources, was $53,778,877 compared with $47,723,634 for the same number of days in 2014, according to track officials. Total ontrack handle fell 4.2 percent, from $5,579,845 in 2014 to $5,341,958
this year. Total attendance fell 28.3 percent, from 29,068 in 2014 to 20,819 this year.

The meeting was better supported by owners and trainers than last year’s summer meet. Average field size increased from 6.99 runners in 67 races in 2014 to 7.47 runners in 68 races this year.

“We had a better product on the racetrack,” said Brad McKinzie, the general manager of the track’s Thoroughbred operation. “We filled better than last year. Trainers are running their good horses, and that translates to better handle.”

This was the second year that Los Alamitos conducted an afternoon Thoroughbred meeting in July. The meet took place on dates previously run at Hollywood Park, which closed for development in 2013.

The 2014 July meeting at Los Alamitos ended with a purse overpayment of $500,000 because of lower-than-expected business. This July’s meeting is expected to show a surplus in the purse pool, according to McKinzie.

“Last year, we were opening against projections, and we didn’t reach the projections, but we didn’t know what we were projecting to,” McKinzie said. “We put on better races this year, particularly the last week. Last year, closing week was a disaster.”

McKinzie said that building attendance “is the toughest part of the puzzle.”

“It’s going to take time,” he said.

Santiago Gonzalez, Mario Gutierrez, Edwin Maldonado, and Fernando Perez finished in a tie for leading rider with four wins each.

Doug O’Neill led all trainers with five wins, one more than Bob Baffert and Peter Miller.

Los Alamitos has two more meetings scheduled this year for September and December. The track’s September meeting will run for 10 days Sept. 10-25, closing on a Friday. Santa Anita will open its autumn meeting Saturday, Sept. 26.