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Horse racing at the L.A. County Fair is more fun than a ride on the Zipper. The facility offers a novel and exciting experience for everyone in attendance from the veteran bettor to the novice.
Betting for Beginners is a daily program that starts with a tour of the grandstand on the way to designated box seats, a winning voucher to everyone in the orientation program and conveniently located pari-mutuel windows to place bets and collect winnings. Racing is held all 17 days of the meeting.
A contest geared for the satellite fans, in partnership with California satellite locations and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, will offer a trip to the Cal Cup at Oak Tree for the winning guess on Cal-Breds that cross the finish line first in the 18 stakes races scheduled at Fairplex Park.
Aloha Fridays will be carried over from 2002, allowing race patrons wearing Hawaiian shirts on Friday’s upgrades to a box seat and eligibility to win a trip to Hawaii. Enhancing the island feeling is the new luau this year specially located for patrons wearing Hawaiian shirts to purchase food and beverages each Friday of the Fair.
Fairplex Park patrons will enjoy four exciting Breeders’ Cup prep stakes races simulcast from Oak Tree on the Fair’s closing day, Sunday, Sept. 28, offering Fairplex Park patrons even more opportunities to watch and wager during the day’s jam-packed program.
Calling the action on closing day will be the distinctive sounds of track announcer Michael Wrona. Trevor Denman will be assuming the duties at Oak Tree that final day. Wrona, a native Australian splits his time between calling races at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, and New Orleans Fairgrounds in Louisiana.
Finally, a very special induction will take place in the inaugural Fairplex Park Hall of Fame with all-time winning trainer Mel Stute being honored.
Fairplex Park in Pomona will present 17 consecutive days of horse racing during the 2003 L.A. County Fair. The 65th meeting at Fairplex Park is scheduled for Sept. 12 through Sept. 28. Fairplex Park will offer at least one stakes race every day beginning on opening day, Friday, Sept. 12, and close out the meeting with two stakes races on closing day, Sunday, Sept. 28.
The $100,000 Ralph M. Hinds Pomona Invitational Handicap, slated for Sunday, Sept. 28, takes the season’s top billing. The event for 3-year-olds and up will go at 1-1/8 miles and will honor the Fair Association’s late president and chief executive officer.
The Pomona Derby on Saturday, Sept. 27 (3-year-olds, 1-1/8 miles), and the
Las Madrinas Handicap on Friday, Sept. 26 (3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1- 1/16 miles), will each offer guaranteed purses of $100,000.
Two 6-½ furlong events for 2-year-olds carry estimated purses of $100,000. The Barretts Debutante for fillies is set for Saturday, Sept. 20, followed by the Barretts Juvenile for colts and geldings on Sunday, Sept. 21. Both are for 2-year-olds sold at the Barretts Equine Sales Complex at Fairplex.
The Phil D. Shepherd Stakes on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 1-1/16 miles is a $50,000 guaranteed stakes race. The Foothill Stakes has opening day honors and the Bustles and Bows Stakes is slated for Thursday, Sept. 18. Both races are 6-1/2 furlong
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