CYPRESS, CA—JANUARY 21, 2021—According to an article published on the Daily Racing Form website, Los Alamitos Race Couse received regulatory approval from the California Horse Racing Board today (Thursday) for a 12-month racing license for their current Quarter Horse meet that begin December 26, 2020 and runs thru Dec. 21, 2021. 

The CHRB board voted 4-3 to approve the year-long license, a reversal of the board’s decision last month when it granted a six-month license.

After the board deadlocked with a 3-3 vote on a motion for a six-month license in December, and by the same vote on a motion for a year-long license, it eventually approved a six-month license by a vote of 5-1, urging the track to continue with medication and veterinary reforms enacted last summer. 

The Southern California racetrack asked the racing board to reconsider the measure at today's meeting, which it granted a year-long license after a discussion that lasted more than two-and-half hours. 

Racing board commissioner Alex Solis, the retired Hall of Fame jockey, cast the deciding vote. Solis did not participate in the December meeting. Both meetings were held via teleconference because of the pandemic. 

Los Alamitos had previously received its year-around license for Quarter Horse racing annually for twenty-years. 

Prior to today's meeting, Los Alamitos officials presented enhanced plans to improve safety conditions for the Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds that run at the track year-around evening meeting. They have added three retired racing board investigators to work with stewards and patrol the stable area to observe horses entered on race days. 

According to track owner Ed Allred. a six-month racing license threatened the viability of the racetrack’s nominating and payment system for many of the Quarter Horse industries top futurities and derbies which are held in the final months of the year. 

During an 80-minute public comment period, 26 people spoke in favor of the track’s yearlong license, while 12 spoke against the track’s request. The CHRB held a half-hour discussion before approving the year-long license. 

Solis was joined in favor of the 12-month license by chairman Greg Ferraro and commissioners Damascus Castellanos and Dennis Alfieri. Vice chairman Oscar Gonzales, and commissioners Wendy Mitchell and Brenda Washington Davis opposed a 12-month license. 

“They responded positively with enhanced safety measures,” Ferraro said. “Has Los Alamitos been treated fairly? I don’t think so.”