Allred Taking a Big Risk With His Renovation

Edward C. Allred pulled into the weather-beaten parking lot of his Los Alamitos racetrack Tuesday morning to find workers scurrying to complete all they could in time for Friday’s 46th opening of quarter horse racing.

Not all of the refurbishing financed by the south Orange County doctor’s personal fortune is expected to be completed in time for the 7:15 p.m. post time, but one thing is certain: Allred has spent a great deal of time and money renovating the race track in hopes of attracting customers the way a simple grandstand and a few hot dog stands did in 1951, when Los Alamitos was built.

It’s a big gamble. Attendance for live racing at Los Alamitos has declined steadily to about 5,000 per night in recent years, with much of the track’s revenue generated by satellite wagering.

And if the track is to attract the upscale patrons Allred covets, it will have to overcome its dusty, grimy image. Badly in need of remodeling, the track’s problems increased under the ownership of Hollywood Park, which was looking to sell it.

“A year ago, I was embarrassed to bring people here,” said John Petti, track spokesman who first attended Los Alamitos as a Lakewood High senior in the mid-1970s. “This place was not up to the standards where I would show friends a good time.”

But since Allred took controlling interest in 1989, he has sunk more than $12 million into upgrading the facility, including the completion of the Vessels Club, a casino-like bar and upscale restaurant.

The club features plush carpeting, a huge mahogany bar and lounge and dining tables overlooking the race track. Each table has its own television with 50 cable channels, including satellite feeds of races from tracks around the world.

A focal point is the bronze bust of founder Frank Vessels Sr. that used to greet visitors at the Katella Avenue entrance to the track.

“We are trying to restore an outmoded racing plant that was designed for day racing,” Allred said. “We are trying to attract an upper-scale fan base that may have been passing us by in the past, because they did not see us as a place to go to have a night out.”

He also hopes to attract business people from the industrial complexes that have sprung up over the years to the south and east of the track. Los Alamitos offers rebuilt meeting rooms for conferences.

Throughout the track are row upon row of televisions sets, because satellite wagering has become so popular. Many bettors never see a live race, preferring to watch and wager on races being run at Los Alamitos and at tracks around the world via television. Satellite wagering generates about $2 million a year in revenue for Los Alamitos.

While studies show that most of the patrons who have visited Los Alamitos are from a narrow corridor adjacent to Interstate 605, the track’s general manager, Dick Feinberg, a Seal Beach resident, says he envisions attracting a broader spectrum from Orange County. Track organizers acknowledge that the days when they made a living off hard-core horse racing bettors is over.

“This is a friendly place to come,” Feinberg said. “You can walk around here and find a lot of comfortable spots to relax or eat. Whatever taste you have, we plan to have it for you.”

Los Alamitos Notes

The first major event scheduled at the track will be the El Primero Del Ana Derby, a 400-yard race for 3-year-old colts and geldings, on May 3. A similar derby for 3-year-old fillies will be May 4. . . . Prime Sports Network again will carry all Los Alamitos races on a delayed basis the following day. . . . A Dash of Beduino, winner of last year’s El Primero Del Ano Derby, is at the top of the list of 14 older horses that will compete in the Kaweah Bar Handicap Friday night. A Dash of Beduino is trained by Blane Schvaneveldt, who has won the opening stakes race seven times. . . . Schvaneveldt has won more races at Los Alamitos than any other trainer in all but four of the last 34 meetings. . . . A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of jockey Juan Limon is still in the court system, according to Los Alamitos officials. Limon, 35, of Jalisco, Mexico, was thrown from his mount, IMa Dashing Lady during a race July 23, 1994, and died at a local hospital after suffering brain damage. Another lawsuit, this one a class-action suit filed by the California harness horse owners charging unfair allocation of racing dates at the track, was thrown out of court recently by a judge, who awarded Los Alamitos $15,000 in compensatory damages.

The Los Alamitos notebook will run weekly in The Times Orange County Edition.

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Racing at Los Alamitos

Where: 4961 Katella Ave., Cypress

When: Quarter horse racing Friday through Dec. 22. The track will be closed July 4, Sept. 5 and Nov. 28.

Time: Thursday through Saturday post time is 7:15 p.m. Sunday post time is 5:30 p.m., as is the Sept. 2 running. July 1 offers a 12:45 p.m. start.

Cost: Grandstand admission is $3, clubhouse is $4.50 and entry to the Vessels Club is $8 (a dress code is enforced in the Vessels Club). Thursdays are Senior Nights: 62 or older admitted free. General parking is free. Preferred parking is $3.

Information: (714) 236-4300