President of Los Alamitos resigns

Los Alamitos track owner Ed Allred announced his resignation as president and chairman of the board of the racetrack on Saturday.

Allred has had a controlling interest in the racetrack since 1998 and has overseen the Orange County track as an exclusive Quarter Horse venue since 2000. He has owned the track or been part of a horsemen's organization that operated a race meeting there since the 1970s.

In a statement released by the track, Allred announced that he is moving out of California but will remain on Los Alamitos's board of directors. He will be replaced as president by Cathy Monji, the former track vice president and assistant to Allred. In addition, Rick English, who has worked as the track's controller and is currently a consultant, will be chairman of the board. English has represented Los Alamitos in business matters before the California Horse Racing Board in recent months.

In recent years, Allred, 73, has had an active role in the day-to-day management at Los Alamitos, despite suffering a minor stroke in 2007. He spoke before the racing board in February, arguing for an increased takeout on wager as a way to offset losses in the statewide simulcast market.

Earlier this year, Allred decided to eliminate one day of racing per week because of a shortage of horses at Los Alamitos. Currently, the track runs on a Friday-through-Sunday basis.

Through Allred's guidance Los Alamitos has become the leading Quarter Horse venue in the United States. The track offers three seven-figure futurities, including the Los Alamitos Two Million each December and the prestigious Champion of Champions for older horses each December, a race that plays a pivotal role in World Champion voting.

Los Alamitos primarily runs Quarter Horses but has become increasingly reliant on sprints for Thoroughbreds in recent years. Los Alamitos is limited to running Thoroughbred races over 4 1/2 furlongs for $5,000 claimers or less since legislation approved their inclusion in the racing program in 1993.

As a horse owner, Allred has been named champion breeder on 10 occasions by the American Quarter Horse Association and champion owner six times. He owns Rolling A Ranch in Atascadero, Calif.

Monji has campaigned a small stable in recent years, including the 1995 stakes winner Dicey Secret.