Los Alamitos Race Course facts for kids
Los Alamitos, 2016
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| Location | City of Cypress, at 4961 Katella Avenue, (postal address) Los Alamitos, California |
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| Owned by | Ed Allred |
| Date opened | 1951 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse |
| Course type | Dirt |
| Notable races | Champion of Champions Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity Ed Burke Memorial Futurity Kindergarten Futurity Golden State Million Futurity Mildred Vessels Memorial Los Alamitos Super Derby Los Alamitos Derby, Los Alamitos Futurity |
Los Alamitos Race Course is an exciting place in Cypress, California, where you can watch amazing horse races! This track is special because it hosts two main types of racing: Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse events. It's famous for holding four Quarter Horse races where the prize money is over $1 million, which is more than any other track in the United States! Even though the track is in Cypress, its mailing address is in nearby Los Alamitos, California.
The voice you hear announcing the races is Michael Wrona.
Contents
The Start of Racing: Early History
The story of Los Alamitos Race Course began with a man named Frank Vessels Sr.. He came from Kentucky with very little money but built a successful construction business. Eventually, he bought a large ranch in Orange County. Horse racing first started on his Vessels Ranch in 1947 with friendly "match races" between horses.
The first official race meet at Los Alamitos with betting (called parimutuel betting) happened in 1951. It lasted for 11 days, ending on December 15. It rained for most of those days, making it tough! Frank Vessels and his family worked hard to fix the track after the rain. On the last night, a mare named Bart B S set a world record in the Miss Princess Handicap race. She ran 400 yards in just 20.3 seconds!
After that first meet, Mr. Vessels invested $100,000 of his own money to make the track even better. He asked the California Horse Racing Board for more racing days, and they gave him 16. The 1952 season was a big success, with twice as many people attending as the first year.
Go Man Go: A Racing Superstar
The 1955 racing season brought a true superstar to Los Alamitos: Go Man Go. He was a unique-looking Quarter Horse with a special personality. People loved him so much that huge crowds would fill the grandstands. They would cheer his name loudly as he won race after race!
Ed Allred: The Track's Owner
Dr. Ed Allred first visited Los Alamitos as a law student. He came because he heard some distant relatives, the Allred Brothers, were racing a horse there. That one visit sparked a lifelong passion for the track. This passion eventually led him to become the sole owner of Los Alamitos.
The Vessels Family owned Los Alamitos for many years, until the 1990s. After a period where the track changed owners a few times, Dr. Allred, a successful businessman, bought 50 percent of the track in 1990 with help from R. D. Hubbard.
In 1995, the beautiful $5 million Vessels Club opened. This fancy restaurant at the track became famous for its amazing decorations and delicious food. It was even named the top sports park restaurant in Southern California! Under Dr. Allred's leadership, other popular spots like the Player's Club, Rodney's Bar, and Schwanie's Grill also opened for fans.
The year 1995 also marked the start of the Los Alamitos $2 Million race. This championship race is for two-year-old horses. In 2008, it had a prize of over $2 million, making it one of the richest non-Breeders' Cup races in California. It's also the only Quarter Horse race in the country with a guaranteed $2 million prize! Los Alamitos also hosts the Los Alamitos Super Derby, the richest three-year-old Quarter Horse race.
Thoroughbred Racing at Los Alamitos
In 2014, a big change happened. After Hollywood Park Racetrack closed in 2013, Los Alamitos expanded its track to 1 mile. This allowed it to host races just for Thoroughbreds. The track gained a lot of attention when trainer Art Sherman moved his horses there. One of his horses, a colt named California Chrome, became super famous by winning the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He was even called "America's Horse" and gained many fans!
The Los Alamitos winter 2014 meet also featured the Grade I Starlet Stakes. This important race was won by Take Charge Brandi. Her trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, achieved his eighth win in the Starlet. He also became one of the few trainers to win at Los Alamitos with both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds!
Important Thoroughbred Races (2019)
Here are some of the top Thoroughbred races held at Los Alamitos in 2019:
- Grade II
- Great Lady M. Stakes
- Los Alamitos Futurity
- Starlet Stakes
- Grade III
- Bayakoa Stakes
Important Quarter Horse Races (2023)
Here are some of the top Quarter Horse races held at Los Alamitos in 2023:
- Grade 1
- Champion of Champions
- Ed Burke Million Futurity
- Golden State Million Futurity
- Los Alamitos Super Derby
- Los Alamitos 2 Million Futurity
- Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap
- Grade 2
- Golden State Derby
- Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity
- Grade 3
- Miss Princess Handicap
- Wild West Futurity
Famous Quarter Horses
Some of the well-known Quarter Horses who have raced at Los Alamitos include Moonist, Sass Me Blue, and EC Jet One.
See also
In Spanish: Hipódromo Los Alamitos para niños
