LOS ALAMITOS : Harness Meet Has New Twist

The first race of the Los Alamitos winter-spring harness meeting begins at 7:45 tonight, but work starts at noon for Rick Plano, who trains six horses on the program, including Ugly Duckling in the first race.

Plano, and the six other trainers in the first race, must have their horses in a detention barn at noon. It is the first time such a facility has been used for California harness racing.

“If it’s good for racing, then it’s good for everyone,” Plano said. “I’m not against it, that’s for sure, but it’ll be hard on the trainer. (The detention barn) will be good for the fans. We’re not going anywhere without them.”

The secured detention area--part of racing’s response to recent drug problems--is adjacent to the track and includes three barns with 120 stalls for each night’s horses. The receiving barn, where post-race urine samples are taken, is in the same complex. The horses must be in the area eight hours before post time and can be visited only by their caretakers and trainers. Horses will travel to and from the track only for pre-race warm-ups and will not go back to the main barn area.

Fred Kuebler, general manager of the California Harness Racing Assn., which is leasing Los Alamitos for a 13-week harness meeting that runs through April 14, brought the concept of a detention barn to Southern California. Kuebler had seen one in use at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., for races of $100,000 or more and figured it would work nightly for entire programs.

He said the $500 a day spent to operate the detention barn will pay dividends in fan confidence.

“I think it’s the most revolutionary idea in California for some time,” he said. “It’s strictly preventive. I think the racing pages have been filled recently with clenbuterol, procaine, cocaine and chemicals that I don’t think the fans want to hear about. I don’t think there’s a major problem in harness racing, but this prevents it.”

Races will be run every 17 minutes and first post time is 7:45 p.m., instead of 7. There is a new menu of wagers, including a place pick-nine and trifectas in even-numbered races. The twin trifecta, which in its first year has become the most popular race at Los Alamitos, will be available in the sixth and eighth races.

Tonight’s card features 12 races, including four with exceptional fields. Saturday’s program has only 10 races. The recent rains prohibited track maintenance crews from banking the final turns to last year’s specifications, but the track was ready for racing Wednesday.

Cool Charm Girl, a 10-year-old old mare who has won four of her last five races, heads a six-horse field in tonight’s ninth race.