Officials Expect Record Fairplex Handle

With five days of racing left, Fairplex Park officials are anticipating record business totals for their Los Angeles County Fair meet in Pomona.

Through Monday, the 10th day of the meet, betting at Fairplex and off-track has averaged $7.1 million daily. That compares with the track’s record year, a $6.4-million average, in 2003.

George Bradvica, equine manager of Fairplex, said that there are several reasons for this year’s increase, including a racing schedule that, while one day less than last year, allowed for Tuesdays off.

“We’re also giving bettors a lot to bet on,” Bradvica said. “Our average field size has been 8.3 horses, which is up from about an even eight horses last year. Our jockey colony has also been especially strong.

“Besides Martin Pedroza, our perennial leader, we’ve had the return of David Flores, our all-time No. 2 jock in wins, and Garrett Gomez and Pat Valenzuela have also been riding from time to time. Garrett won stakes races on three successive days.”

Bradvica said that attendance has been down about 5%.

“I don’t think we’re comparing apples to apples there,” he said.

“We’ve been running on Mondays, when the fair has been closed down, so it’s been kind of a different ball game.”

The 16-day meet ends Monday.

-- Bill Christine