Racing dates on CHRB meeting agenda

The California Horse Racing Board on Thursday at Del Mar is expected to discuss whether to allow Los Alamitos and Santa Anita to run as many as four days a week during their meetings that begin in September. The tracks will submit license applications at the board meeting.

According to documents filed earlier this month with the racing board, Los Alamitos will run as many as 12 days at the Los Angeles County Fair meeting, which is scheduled to run from Sept. 5-22. Track officials said over the weekend that the start of the meeting could be delayed to Friday, Sept. 6 in an effort to draw sufficient entries.

Santa Anita has applied for a 23-day season from Sept. 27 to Nov. 3, highlighted by the Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 1-2. The meeting would open with a three-day week. The track has applied for four-day racing weeks for most of the meet, with five days of racing from Oct. 10-14 to include Columbus Day and a three-day week Oct. 18-20.

A track official said over the weekend the schedule is subject to change.

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Even if the racing board approves four-day weeks for the fall meetings at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita, the schedules could be amended later. With fewer race-ready horses in California, Santa Anita and Los Alamitos made late changes to their racing schedules earlier this year.

Santa Anita canceled racing on nine Thursdays from mid-April to late June to ensure sufficient entries. Los Alamitos canceled two days of racing in late June and the July 11 program.

Del Mar, which began its summer meeting on Wednesday, plans to run five days a week through the end of its meet Sept. 2, but will run fewer races than last year.