Strong favorites in pair of maiden claimers

A day later than scheduled, racing resumes Friday at Los Alamitos. Thursday’s program was canceled due to insufficient entries; the eight-race Friday card includes four maiden-claiming races and four claiming sprints for winners.

It is a card for gambling and includes a pair of 5 1/2-furlong sprints that look easy from a handicapping perspective. Race 2 is $30,000 maiden claimer for either gender; race 4 is $20,000 maiden claimer for fillies and mares. In both races, the top contenders are likely to start at low odds that reflect their perceived superiority.

Favorites have won 23 of 52 races this season at Los Alamitos; the 44 percent win rate may increase if the two most probable winners Friday deliver.

Street Image enters race 2 with much in his favor, including the simple fact he is the fastest horse in the race. Claimed for $50,000 in May, he made his first start for trainer Phil D’Amato on June 21 in a $75,000 maiden-claiming sprint at five furlongs on turf.

The gelding set the pace to deep stretch and finished fourth by only two lengths. The runner-up, Oil Can Knight, returned last week to win a maiden special weight. Street Image drops to $30,000 maiden-claiming Friday and should be tough if he handles the switch to Los Alamitos dirt.

The past four years, D’Amato is 7 for 8 with turf-to-dirt favorites at Los Alamitos. Martin Garcia rides Street Image, whose main rival is Vermeer, a first-time gelding trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

The most probable winner Friday is in race 4, a maiden-claiming sprint for fillies and mares. John Sadler trains La Purissima, runner-up two weeks ago in a similar race. She ran relatively fast to earn a 59 Beyer Speed Figure, despite a compromising trip.

La Purissima pressed the pace inside the odds-on favorite, but shuffled back slightly to lose position into the turn. She took back, went outside, and re-rallied. She finished second by two lengths. It was seven back to the third-place finisher.

Martin Pedroza rides La Purissima again Friday. The filly figures tough to beat at a short price.

Los Alamitos ends Sunday, having cut three days from a scheduled 12-day season. Other tracks face similar challenges. Santa Anita adopted a three-day schedule at its recently concluded meet. Del Mar plans to run five days per week, but fewer races, when its meet begins Wednesday.

The local horse population is down 15 percent from normal, a drop of about 400 race-ready horses. Approximately 2,600 horses currently are training in Southern California, including 60 claiming horses entered Friday at Los Alamitos.