By Bloodhorse.com
CYPRESS, Calif. (Dec. 1, 2014) — Los Alamitos Race Course’s 12-day winter meet opens Dec. 4 and runs through Dec. 21.
Two grade I races for juveniles anchor the meet: the $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 20 and the $350,000 Starlet for fillies at the same distance Dec. 13.
The Los Alamitos Futurity is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series of races that carry important points to determine preference should more than 20 horses be entered for the 2015 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Joining the Los Alamitos Futurity and the Starlet on the five-race winter stakes schedule are two major California-bred juvenile stakes, both at one mile: the $200,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for fillies Dec. 7 and the $200,000 King Glorious Stakes, which is set for Dec 14.
California Chrome won last year’s King Glorious by 6 1/4 lengths to cap his 2-year-old campaign and went on to win the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Kicking off the Los Alamitos winter stakes calendar will be the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes (gr. II), a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares Dec. 6.