LOS ALAMITOS : Harness Meet Has Brighter Outlook

Racing secretary Dave Goldschmidt was in a festive mood this week as he accepted entries for opening night of a 16-week harness meet beginning tonight at Los Alamitos.

The meet has become the centerpiece of 38 consecutive weeks of California harness racing, a far cry from the dire straits of a year ago. Last year, a 13-week, 38-day meet started here the weekend before New Year’s after a nine-month gap in state harness racing. This year, a 16-week, 60-day meet is scheduled through April 7, sandwiched between sessions at Cal-Expo in Sacramento. Cal-Expo was restored to the calendar after a one-year hiatus with meetings from April through July and October through Dec. 10.

The eight-week fall meet in Sacramento was vital in establishing form for this meet and continuity on the circuit, which will return to Cal-Expo the week after this meet in April through July 21. In addition to horses shipped from Sacramento, other stock has been arriving this week from Del Mar, Canada and the Midwest.

“It’s like night and day,” Goldschmidt said. “Last year it was a struggle the first couple of weeks here. Nobody was ready or fit.”

The horses spent several weeks establishing form amid disappointing wagering levels.

“We’re more confident this year than we’ve been,” Goldschmidt said. “We’ve had 700 stall applications. Last year it was in the low 500s.”

The meet will open with cards tonight and Saturday night; Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening programs next week, and Thursday through Sunday night racing the remainder of the meet, with the exception of Super Bowl Sunday.

The programs also will include four simulcast harness races from Chicago-area tracks Balmoral and Hawthorne. The Chicago simulcasts replace the higher-quality races brought in from the Meadowlands in New Jersey last year. Chris Schick, director of simulcasting, said the state of Illinois agreed to accept the entire Los Alamitos card at all outlets each night in exchange for the four Illinois races simulcast here, maximum under California regulations.

Defending driving champion Steve Warrington has returned from Maryland and leading trainer Rick Plano is back from Vernon, N.Y., ready to take on the challenge of young Lou Pena, leading driver and trainer at the last two Sacramento meets.

Pacers entering the meet with exceptional form from Sacramento include Be Welcome, a 6-year-old gelding on a four-race winning streak; and Gee Gee Digger, a promising 2-year-old Cal-bred. Also scheduled to return early in the meet is Hi Ho Silverheel’s, 1994 California harness horse of the year.