LOS ALAMITOS : Fair Meeting Opens With Balboa Stakes

The thoroughbreds will take over at Los Alamitos tonight when the Orange County Fair opens its 14th season of racing. Topping the opening night program will be the $35,000-added Balboa Island Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

The Orange County Fair schedule also includes quarter horse, Arabian and Appaloosa racing, but the main focus of the 18-day meet will be on the thoroughbred schedule, which includes 12 stakes.

During the 13-year history of the Orange County Fair, several top thoroughbreds have campaigned over the five-eighths mile oval, including the stakes winning mare Fabulous Notion and Great Lady M, who went on to fame as the dam of horse of the year Ladys Secret.

First post at Los Alamitos will be 7:30 p.m. Racing will be Monday through Saturday nights.

Among the major thoroughbred stakes on the schedule will be the $50,000-added Walter Knott Handicap Aug. 10 and the $75,000-added Orange County Handicap on closing night, Aug. 18.

A leading contender in tonight’s Balboa Island Stakes is the filly Mittens And Mink. Trained by Darrell Vienna, Mittens And Mink won a June 28 allowance race at Hollywood Park by 2 1/2 lengths.

Corey Black is the all-time leading thoroughbred rider at the Orange County Fair with 82 victories, including 13 stakes. Black will ride Mittens And Mink.