Fair Board Turns Down Bid for Harness Meeting

The board of directors of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn. has turned down a bid for a harness racing meeting next spring and summer at Fairplex Park in Pomona.

Lloyd Arnold, president and general manager of Los Alamitos, sought to lease dates at the Pomona facility from April 26 to Aug. 17 to create a virtual year-round Southern California standardbred circuit between Los Alamitos meetings from February to April and August to November.

The California Horse Racing Board approved Arnold’s request Nov. 3, reversing an earlier stand, but limited any agreement to one year.

“The CHRB sent a signal that Pomona would be used as an interim facility between now and the time a new facility in Riverside would be built,” Ralph Hinds, president of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn., said Friday. “It was not a long-range plan. Originally, we had talked about a long-range plan with Mr. Arnold involving a three-year lease and two three-year options.

“We spoke out clearly at the CHRB meeting that we were not interested in a short-term program, and the decision should not come as a surprise. We are already involved in a successful long-range thoroughbred training program (involving about 700 horses).”