Horse Racing : Arnold Will Retire, Leaving Harness Racing in Question

Lloyd Arnold, who bought Los Alamitos in 1989 in an effort to revive harness racing in California, announced his retirement Monday, leaving California harness racing a questionable future.

Arnold, 63, plans to retire on Nov. 14, the closing night of the current harness meeting. He announced his plans at a staff meeting. Arnold is co-owner of the Cypress race track with Dr. Edward C. Allred of Long Beach, who is the president of the Horsemen’s Quarter Horse Racing Assn., which conducts quarter horse racing at Los Alamitos.

Arnold’s organization, the Los Alamitos Racing Assn., conducts harness racing at Los Alamitos. He plans to retain his ownership share in the race track, but does not plan to promote or manage any future harness meetings.

Those tasks would be left to a group willing to sign a lease agreement with track owners. Any potential operator will have until Dec. 1 to reach a lease agreement and apply for 1993 racing dates with the California Horse Racing Board. Two harness meetings are scheduled for Los Alamitos in 1993, the same schedule as 1992-- a winter-spring meeting from Jan. 20 to mid-April and a summer-fall meeting from mid-August to mid-November.

Arnold cited the time away from his family, his health and the frustrations of running a horse meeting as the reasons for his retirement.

“The shortage of horses is the main reason,” he said. “I think I have failed in not getting more horses from back East. The ones we’ve gotten, I’ve had to buy or pay for their shipping.

“When we took over (in 1989), we said we’d go three years. I think the main reason I’m getting out is because it’s time. I haven’t seen my grandkids, my son and daughter or my wife very often. I’m here all day.”

The backstretch currently stables 825 horses, of which 520 are racing. The others are not in racing condition for a variety of reasons, including not being competitive or recuperating from injuries. Despite numerous trips to racing centers in the East and Midwest, Arnold and other track officials have had a difficult time attracting new stables. Arnold said a meeting needs 700 horses ready to race.

“We’re not getting out because of financial problems,” he said. “I just think its time to stop. I’ve been here for 16 years and it’s long enough. The headaches just got bigger.

“There are major battles that must be undertaken that will take considerable time and effort. Of major importance is the issue of impact fees and the ability of the thoroughbred horsemen to exercise partial control over the night signal.”

Arnold will meet with horsemen today to discuss the future. One says that Arnold will have no trouble finding an operator.

“I’m very confident we’ll get another operator,” said Ross Croghan of Cypress, who owns, trains and drives harness horses. “I think they’ll have so many people who will want to invest, we’ll be able to pick and choose. I just hope we can get someone as good as Lloyd.”

Alan Horowitz, the executive secretary of the California Harness Horsemen’s Assn., said his organization would be very active in searching for a suitable operator. Horowitz said groups from Illinois, Canada, the East Coast as well as two from California may be approached. He did not name any of the potential groups.

The announcement came at a difficult time for harness racing. The sport enjoyed a solid spring meeting at Los Alamitos, but is in the midst of a disappointing season. Projections for the fall meeting included an average parimutuel handle of $900,000, but the track has handled only $609,638. Purses have dropped almost 50% in five weeks of racing.

Los Alamitos has conducted harness racing annually since 1972. Though it went through ownership changes and uncertain times in the ‘80s, things quieted down somewhat when Arnold and Chris Bardis of Sacramento bought the track from Hollywood Park in November of 1989.

In April of 1990, 50% of the rack was sold to Allred, giving both quarter horses and standardbred interests equal shares in the track.