Fairplex’s Future Is Up in the Air

The Los Angeles County Fair closed the books Monday on its 63rd racing season to echoes that future dates may be moved from Fairplex Park in Pomona to Hollywood Park.

Wendy Talarico, a Fairplex spokeswoman, confirmed that there have been discussions between the fair and Churchill Downs Inc., Hollywood Park’s parent company, but said that no deal has been struck.

“There is no contract, and we have our dates for next year,” Talarico said. “The way it is now, we plan to race here next year.”

Located in the middle of a fall fair that drew nearly 1.3 million people last year, Fairplex runs nonstop for 18 or 19 days, offering mixed-breed racing cards with an emphasis on thoroughbreds.

The caliber is second-rate compared to racing the rest of the year at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar, but lesser stables embrace Fairplex because of its lucrative purses, and middle-echelon jockeys pile up victories.

Hollywood Park already runs two meets a year. Its first season runs from April to July and it conducts a shorter second meet in November and December.

“We are examining what will be the best use for the real estate [at Fairplex],” Talarico said. “The story that we won’t race here anymore is way ahead of itself.”

Fairplex Park is a training track the rest of the year for horses that are vanned to other tracks to run. The Barretts sales company conducts horse auctions at Fairplex.

The first Los Angeles County Fair meet--eight days long--was run in 1933. Racing was suspended in 1942, because of World War II, and resumed in 1948.

George Bradvica, racing manager at Fairplex, is optimistic that racing at the fair will continue next September and said that he is planning for the 2002 season.

“Racing is an important revenue source for the fair,” Bradvica said. “It’s a business that’s been growing and I hope to help it grow some more. I want to keep going. I think we’ll be back.”

Although this year’s fair was only 17 days--one day of racing was canceled after terrorist attacks in New York and at the Pentagon--and another card was disrupted by a bomb threat, the overall handle hit the $104-million mark. That fell short of last year’s $105.9 million and missed the record $108.4 million bet in 1998.

On-track attendance, which is an estimate based on program sales, totaled 121,497, a drop of 2% from last year.

Martin Pedroza rode three winners on closing day, giving him a meet-high 29. Pedroza, who has ridden a record 322 winners at Fairplex, also won the meet titles in 1999 and 2000.

Tyler Baze and Matt Garcia, with 24 victories apiece, tied for second in the standings. Jeff Mullins, the champion trainer, saddled 11 winners, missing by two the Fairplex record of 13 set by Mel Stute in 1986.

In the closing-day stake, the $50,000 Governor’s Cup, Pedroza finished second aboard the 9-10 favorite, The Morris Monroe, as Love That Lion, ridden by Goncalino Almeida, won by four lengths.

The 32-day Oak Tree Racing Assn. meet opens Wednesday at Santa Anita.