LOS ALAMITOS : Town Policy Highlights Start of 142-Night Stand

An abundance of horses for the stakes race and a dearth of entries for the others mark the opening quarter horse card at Los Alamitos, which begins its 142-night stand tonight. Racing Thursday through Sunday, the track will offer nine to 14 races each night through Dec. 17. First post is 7:15 on weekdays and 6:45 on weekends.

A few appaloosa, Arabian and 4 1/2-furlong thoroughbred races will round out the mainly quarter horse cards.

Tonight’s feature, the Town Policy Handicap, was originally scheduled as a $20,000 race for 3-year-olds at 350 yards. With 17 entries at Tuesday’s draw, the Grade III race was split into two divisions, each worth $15,000.

The five other quarter horse events were not as easy to fill, and the draw stretched another day, closing Wednesday with six- and seven-horse fields dotting the program.

The horse shortage, common throughout horse racing, is usually most severe at the beginning of the Los Alamitos meet, then eases within a month. Because quarter horses last raced in Southern California in December, many horses have left to run in New Mexico and Oklahoma but will return to Los Alamitos later.

Some trainers moved their operations to a new track in Houston, which offers a shorter and unproven meet, but comparable purses and lower training costs. And still other horses remain in the area but are not ready to run.