The record for a single-night handle at Los Alamitos lasted all of one day.
After wagering reached a record $2,466,567 on a nine-race program Friday, bettors contributed $2,843,573 on Saturday’s nine-race program.
Until the weekend, the record for an evening program was $2,379,112 wagered on a 13-race program of Quarter Horse stakes in November 2013.
A Los Angeles County supervisor declined on Friday to say when Santa Anita would be allowed to reopen - without spectators - amidst the coronavirus outbreak.
In a question-and-answer session on local television, Kathryn Barger acknowledged that county officials are reviewing a set of protocols Santa Anita officials recently proposed to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that would be put in place if the track is allowed to reopen.
Boosted by full fields and competitive sprint races, Los Alamitos recorded an all-time record handle of $2,466,567 on Friday’s nine-race program.
Track officials said in a statement that Friday’s program was the first time an evening card had surpassed $2.4 million.
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The Illinois Racing Board on Friday unanimously approved a request from Arlington International to suspend the start of its 2020 racing season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The board’s approval was a fait accompli since Arlington, scheduled to start its meet May 1, still hasn’t been able to open its backstretch for the season and since Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday had extended the state’s stay-at-home order through May 31.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - At first glance, Saturday’s $75,000 Unbridled Stakes seemed like the next logical local opportunity for Untitled coming off his second-place finish seven weeks earlier in the Grade 3 Gotham. Instead, trainer Mark Casse opted for a lesser endowed but far easier spot, last Thursday’s main event, an entry-level optional-claiming race restricted to Florida-breds which Untitled won as easy as he pleased by 3 3/4 lengths as the overwhelming 1-9 favorite.
Santa Anita officials remain hopeful racing can resume in May even though the track has not yet been granted permission to do so by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Santa Anita has not raced since March 22. The track was ordered closed by county health officials on March 27 when it was deemed a nonessential business during the pandemic. The track ran five programs from March 14 through 22 without spectators and with a limited number of employees on site.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The Breeders’ Cup Sprint remains the endgame for Whitmore, who emerged from his record third Count Fleet Sprint Handicap win in good order and has resumed training at Oaklawn Park.
“He’s happy,” said co-owner and trainer Ron Moquett. “We’re training him lightly. We’re not training him toward anything. Just keeping him happy.”
Moquett said pinning down plans is difficult right now due to the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted the racing schedule in North America.
For the first time in four years, a Los Alamitos Thoroughbred meeting may have a prep for a Triple Crown race.
Los Alamitos will have a two-week afternoon Thoroughbred meeting from June 26 to July 5 that will include three stakes. Two of those races will be run on July 4 – the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby at 1 1/8 miles and the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Tampa Bay Downs has been granted approval by the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering to extend its current meeting through May 30, Margo Flynn, vice president of marketing and publicity at the track, confirmed on Thursday.
Tampa Bay, one of the few facilities in the country currently conducting a live race meet, will run on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the final four weeks of May.
Saturday’s $75,000 Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream looked like a good spot to stretch the unbeaten Money Moves out around two turns for the first time, but trainer Todd Pletcher opted to give the promising 3-year-old colt a little more time before running him back.
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