By Bloodhorse.com
CYPRESS, Calif. (June 25, 2017) — A pair of graded stakes races highlight the 2017 Summer Thoroughbred Festival at Los Alamitos.
The eight-day season will begin Thursday, July 6 and continue through Sunday, July 16 with racing conducted on a Thursday-Sunday basis. Post time will be 2 pm.
Fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up ) will compete in the meet’s most significant race, the grade 2, $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes, which will be run for the fourth time at Los Alamitos Saturday, July 8.
Offered previously at the now-closed Hollywood Park as the Sequoia (1941-1978) and the A Gleam (1979-2013), the Great Lady M. will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Among the anticipated starters is defending champion Finest City, who, later in 2016, won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) and was voted the Eclipse Award as the female sprint champion.
The other graded stakes is the Grade III, $200,000 Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Accelerate won the 2016 renewal for Hronis Racing LLC and trainer John Sadler. The Derby will be contested Saturday, July 15.
Rounding out the stakes schedule is the $100,000 Bertrando for older horses bred or sired in California. The one-mile race will be run Saturday, July 8.
There will be two giveaway days during the season including Los Alamitos earbuds (Sunday, July 9) and a Los Alamitos drawstring backpack (July 15).
Additionally, fans will have a chance to enter a drawing for an opportunity to win one of eight Smart HDTV’s to be given away closing day Sunday, July 16.
A live money handicapping contest will be offered July 15 with the top three finishers earning a spot in the 2018 National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.
Track gates – including the Clubhouse and Vessels Club – will open at 9:30 a.m. General parking is free with grandstand admission $3 – $2 for seniors 62 and older.
The wagering menu includes the $2 Pick Six, a pair of Pick 4’s – races 2-5 and the final four – as well as the extremely popular Players’ Pick 5 – a 50-cent minimum wager with a reduced 14% takeout rate on the first five races.
The Pick Six will have the standard 70-30 split with 70% of the pool going to those tickets with six winners with the remaining 30% going to tickets with five of six winners.
Entries for the opening day card will be taken Monday, July 3.