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The 69th season of horse racing at the L.A. County Fair is rearing to go, and go it will on Friday, Sept. 7. First post is 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and noon Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There are 17 stakes races featured, and four stakes challenges for the quarter horses. Fairplex Park’s horse racing meet welcomes San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino as presenting sponsor this year. The meeting concludes on Monday, Sept. 24. Tuesdays are once again dark days. Track announcer Trevor Denman returns for his 21st season. The classic and highly recognizable calls of the veteran bring the horses home in style.
The meeting opens Friday, Sept. 7, with 3-year-olds competing in the Derby Trial Stakes at a mile-and-one-sixteenth for a guaranteed purse of $65,000. The weekend, Sept. 8 and 9, features Phil D. Shepherd Stakes Saturday and E.B. Johnston Stakes on Sunday. Both are a mile-and-one-sixteenth and have $65,000 guaranteed purses.
Normally run on opening day, the Foothill Stakes moves to Monday, Sept. 10. The 40th running is six and one-half furlongs for 3-year-olds. Bring on the 2-year-olds and the Beau Brummel Stakes, six and one-half-furlongs, Wednesday, Sept. 12; Bustles and Bows for 2-year-old fillies, Thursday, Sept. 13; and Cal Breds get the nod Friday, Sept. 14, with the Pio Pico Stakes.
The Barretts races for 2-year-olds purchased at the sales complex are Saturday, Sept. 15, for the debutantes and Sunday, Sept. 16, for the juveniles. Both have estimated purses of $150,000.
Monday, Sept. 17, CTBA Marian Stakes at one-mile and one-sixteenth; Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2-year-old fillies run for the Black Swan Stakes title; Thursday, Sept; 20, Gateway to Glory, one-mile and one-sixteenth, for 2-year-olds; Friday, Sept. 21, the Las Madrinas Handicap for fillies and mares, and a $100,000 guaranteed purse; Saturday, Sept. 22, Pomona Derby, for 3-year-olds; Sunday, Sept. 23, the Governor’s Cup is up; Also the meeting’s signature race, the Ralph M. Hinds Pomona Invitational Handicap, with a guaranteed purse of $125,000, for 3-year-olds, Sunday, Sept. 23. Along with the Invitational is the induction of Jerry Fanning, one of Fairplex Park’s all-time leading trainers with 143 wins, into the coveted Fairplex Park Hall of Fame. Monday, Sept. 24, racing concludes and the final stakes race is the Bangles & Beads Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and mares.
Admission to horse racing is free with Fair admission, reserved box seating is available. Dining, watching and wagering is available at The Veranda, Top of the Park and The Terrace.
Four quarter horse stakes are also featured: Sunday, Sept. 9, Pomona Express Stakes; Sunday, Sept. 16, Brotherly Claiming Stakes; Wednesday, Sept. 19, Pomona Juvenile Championship; and Sunday, Sept. 23, Pomona Quarter Horse Championship.
Aloha Fridays award all wearing Hawaiian garb with free box seating. It may be a 16-day meeting, but it’s sweetened with great horses, jockeys, trainers, purses, enthusiastic fans and a little bit of county fair fun.
Fairplex Park’s results and scratch line is (909) 865-4690. Results will also be posted on the Web site, www.lacountyfair.com, and shown each morning on TVG and any time of the day on |
