Skinner, unraced since a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8, is scheduled to start in the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby at Los Alamitos on July 8 as a prep for more prominent national stakes later in the summer. “If we want to do something ambitious, we need to get a race,” trainer John Shirreffs said on Sunday. Shirreffs mentioned the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on July 29 as potential goal for Skinner. The Los Alamitos Derby is also run at 1 1/8 miles. Mike Smith is scheduled to ride Skinner in the Los Alamitos Derby. Smith was aboard Skinner for a half-mile workout in 50.40 on June 14. Skinner has missed two scheduled starts since the Santa Anita Derby. Skinner was withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5 on the day before the race because of a reported elevated temperature. :: Bet the races on DRF Bets! Sign up with code WINNING to get a $250 Deposit Match, $10 Free Bet, and FREE DRF Formulator.  Skinner was scratched from the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita on June 5 after Shirreffs said the colt “didn’t jog sufficiently well” in the days before the race. Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables, Skinner has won once in six starts – a maiden race in February. He was later third in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 4 and third by a half-length in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8. Los Alamitos begins its three-week Los Angeles County Fair meeting on Friday. The season runs through July 9. The Los Alamitos Derby is the last of three stakes during the brief meeting. The $100,000 Bertrando Stakes for California-bred milers will be run on Saturday. The leading race of the season is the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes, a $200,000 race for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on July 4. Skinner was beaten in the Santa Anita Derby by Practical Move, who has not started since that race. Practical Move was scratched from the Kentucky Derby two days prior to the race because of illness and is training in Kentucky at WinStar Farm, according to trainer Tim Yakteen. Yakteen said on Sunday that the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at 1 1/8 miles at Parx Racing on Sept. 23 is a long-range goal.   Trainer suspension and fines Trainer Vladimir Cerin has been suspended seven days from Friday through June 29 and fined $2,500 for treating Poppy’s Halo with shock wave therapy and working the unraced colt within 30 days of the procedure, according to a ruling published by Santa Anita stewards on Friday. Trainers are not permitted to work a horse within 30 days of shock wave therapy, which uses ultrasonic waves to promote healing of damaged bone and tissue. Poppy’s Halo underwent the procedure on Dec. 13 and worked two furlongs in 24.60 seconds on Jan. 9, according to California Horse Racing Board records. The racing board toughened rules regarding shock wave therapy in late 2020, expanding the period between treatment and a workout from 10 days to 30 days. Trainers Ian Kruljac and Jeff Mullins were fined $1,000 each by Santa Anita stewards last Friday after horses they worked or started tested positive for the prohibited muscle relaxant methocarbamol in early April. Kruljac’s positive was found in a post-race test taken from Clouseau, who finished third in the Echo Eddie Stakes on April 8, beaten 6 1/4 lengths. Mullins was cited for a post-workout test taken from Numero Dix on April 5 when the gelding was exercised in an effort to be removed from the veterinarian’s list. Numero Dix was later removed from the vet’s list, and has started twice this year, finishing seventh on May 7 and fifth by 1 1/4 lengths last Friday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.