Orange County Fair Opens Season Tonight at Los Alamitos Race Course

The Orange County Fair, offering $2 million in purses and running a $100,000 thoroughbred race for the first time, will open its 17-night season tonight at Los Alamitos Race Course with an 11-race card of thoroughbreds, quarter horses and Arabians.

The fair runs through Aug. 13, the night of the $100,000 Orange County Handicap. There will be racing nightly except Sundays, with the first post at 7:30 each night.

Tonight’s thoroughbred stake is the $50,000 Orange County Centennial, in honor of the county’s 100th anniversary, for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles. The probable favorite is Dr. Brady, providing he draws in from the also-eligible list.

Dr. Brady would be ridden by Russell Baze, one of several jockeys from Southern California’s major circuit who are riding on the program. Corey Black, who tied Antonio Castanon for the thoroughbred riding title at the fair in 1986 and then won the title outright last year with 17 victories, plans to ride at Del Mar in the daytime and at Los Alamitos at night this season.

There will be seven thoroughbred stakes worth $50,000 during the fair. Highlight of the quarter horse schedule will be the 350-yard Governor’s Cup Futurity, with an estimated purse of $150,000, Aug. 6. Trials for the race will be held Wednesday night.