Does Los Al close next?

[AstrosFan]

After Ed Allred, who would run that place? I think it's like most tracks today, the land is worth too much.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by AstrosFan

After Ed Allred, who would run that place? I think it's like most tracks today, the land is worth too much.

Well, it is probably cheaper to maintain as a quarter horse track.

The thoroughbred meetings are a money pit though. We no longer can support year round racing here. That's going to go away.

[AlsoEligible]

Allred has made it clear that he doesn't think anyone will carry on racing at Los Al after him. He's even gone as far as proposing re-zoning plans to turn the land into housing, shops, etc:

https://www.ocregister.com/2016/09/2...the-170-acres/

Dr. Edward Allred, 80, the owner of Los Alamitos Race Course and the majority landowner of the property, said he has no immediate plans to close the track but with the declining state of horse racing doubts anyone after him will keep jockeys atop circling thoroughbreds and quarter horses here.

“It doesn’t make any sense for any track, Santa Anita, Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park … to be there in light of property values,” said Allred, now beneath the grandstands in a conference room. “We’d like to do what we’re doing, and so I’m going to continue doing that as long as I can. … It’s unlikely to find a successor who can do the same thing.”

So Allred and other track backers created Measure GG, to prepare for that day when racing leaves. The November ballot item asks voters in Cypress – where the Los Alamitos Race Course actually resides – to rezone the land for a master planned, mixed-use community.

That proposal was ultimately shot down by voters who don't want to build up the community any more than it already is. But Allred was going to make another run at it as recently as last December:

https://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/1...rack-property/

Still, owner Edward Allred, a retired doctor, does want a plan in place for the day the sport, which suffers from dwindling fan support overall, just can’t keep going on here. Maybe that day is eight years off, or a decade.

In 2016, Cypress residents rejected his proposal to rezone the course and surrounding property with homes and shops – 51.1 percent cast votes against it. Now, he’s back with a revised development plan that aims to soothe past opponents’ concerns and win at the ballot box.

“I’m not trying to cash out – I don’t want anyone to think that,” [Allred] said. “(But) the day that something happens to me, it’ll be very difficult for someone else to operate.”

[JustRalph]

He’s a fool for not cashing out ten years ago

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

He’s a fool for not cashing out ten years ago

To be fair he’s like 80 years old and successful. Does it really matter?

Secondly, I don’t know how it’s lasted this long. I’ve watched that racing and could not bet free money on it.

[AlsoEligible]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

He’s a fool for not cashing out ten years ago

Why is that? He's 80 years old, already has plenty of money (his private medical practice generates $70 million in yearly revenue), and he has no direct heirs to leave any money to (the bulk of his inheritance will go to his church).

He's realistic about the fact that when he goes, the track dies with him....but until then, he's just a lifelong fan enjoying his hobby. I'm not sure what good it would have done to give all of that up for more money that he doesn't need.

[Afleet]

[QUOTE=AlsoEligible;2307660]Why is that? He's 80 years old, already has plenty of money (his private medical practice generates $70 million in yearly revenue), and he has no direct heirs to leave any money to

He can always adopt me

[Andy Asaro]

Pomona should have been the spot they built for the future of California Racing. Los Al is another short term blunder for California Racing IMO

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

Pomona should have been the spot they built for the future of California Racing. Los Al is another short term blunder for California Racing IMO

This is wrong. Dead wrong.

If year round racing was to succeed, it would have succeeded at Hollywood Park. Hollywood Park is far nicer than either Pomona or Los Al. It had an already built, very functional and beautiful plant, and an already built out, mile and an eighth racetrack and mile turf course.

There is just zero interest in horse racing in Southern California in late November and early December. And that translates into low attendance, low handle, small fields and little support from horsemen, etc. Whoever has those dates will lose money.

Further, there is zero interest in Pomona in any sort of horse racing. Bear in mind, fair meetings historically did fairly well, and yet Pomona could not wait to get rid of their racing dates. They were losing money over three weeks in September despite having a fairgrounds full of people to come to the races. So how the heck are they going to make any money running races in December?

And how big a chunk of their profitable fairgrounds are they going to commit to expanding the racetrack? Or were they supposed to just race over a 5 furlong oval?

When Hollywood closed, the proper thing to do was to realize this was the end of year round racing in Southern California and to coordinate our racing dates into a single circuit with Northern California as existed before the late 1960's.

The horsemen, though, threw a hissy fit. They didn't want to ride circuit. What they didn't do, however, is actually support Los Al. They ignore it. It's full of 5 and 6 horse fields.

Southern California doesn't want year round racing. We just don't anymore (if we ever did). Eventually this has to be recognized and we need to just not have year round racing. We can have the spring and fall at Santa Anita and the summer at Del Mar. That's basically enough.

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

This is wrong. Dead wrong.

If year round racing was to succeed, it would have succeeded at Hollywood Park. Hollywood Park is far nicer than either Pomona or Los Al. It had an already built, very functional and beautiful plant, and an already built out, mile and an eighth racetrack and mile turf course.

There is just zero interest in horse racing in Southern California in late November and early December. And that translates into low attendance, low handle, small fields and little support from horsemen, etc. Whoever has those dates will lose money.

Further, there is zero interest in Pomona in any sort of horse racing. Bear in mind, fair meetings historically did fairly well, and yet Pomona could not wait to get rid of their racing dates. They were losing money over three weeks in September despite having a fairgrounds full of people to come to the races. So how the heck are they going to make any money running races in December?

And how big a chunk of their profitable fairgrounds are they going to commit to expanding the racetrack? Or were they supposed to just race over a 5 furlong oval?

When Hollywood closed, the proper thing to do was to realize this was the end of year round racing in Southern California and to coordinate our racing dates into a single circuit with Northern California as existed before the late 1960's.

The horsemen, though, threw a hissy fit. They didn't want to ride circuit. What they didn't do, however, is actually support Los Al. They ignore it. It's full of 5 and 6 horse fields.

Southern California doesn't want year round racing. We just don't anymore (if we ever did). Eventually this has to be recognized and we need to just not have year round racing. We can have the spring and fall at Santa Anita and the summer at Del Mar. That's basically enough.

I'm dead right not dead wrong. So. Cal needs another turf course and training center. Los Al is going away. Then what?

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

I'm dead right not dead wrong. So. Cal needs another turf course and training center. Los Al is going away. Then what?

We aren't getting another turf course, so that's just not relevant here.

The "then what" is the reckoning that should have happened after Hollywood Park closed-- we end year round racing in Southern California.

In case you haven't noticed, Santa Anita has only raced three days a week the last three weeks. And this is April, when racing has traditionally done decently in Southern California. One of those weeks was Santa Anita Derby week, a big week!

I suspect the endgame is for horsemen to go up to Golden Gate during the time periods when there is no racing in Southern California. Or maybe they go to other tracks. Just like what happens at every other place where they don't have year round racing.

But as Nixon's economic advisor Herbert Stein used to say, "if it can't go on, it won't". Year round racing isn't viable, so that won't be the future.

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

We aren't getting another turf course, so that's just not relevant here.

The "then what" is the reckoning that should have happened after Hollywood Park closed-- we end year round racing in Southern California.

In case you haven't noticed, Santa Anita has only raced three days a week the last three weeks. And this is April, when racing has traditionally done decently in Southern California. One of those weeks was Santa Anita Derby week, a big week!

I suspect the endgame is for horsemen to go up to Golden Gate during the time periods when there is no racing in Southern California. Or maybe they go to other tracks. Just like what happens at every other place where they don't have year round racing.

But as Nixon's economic advisor Herbert Stein used to say, "if it can't go on, it won't". Year round racing isn't viable, so that won't be the future.

I notice everything and I know what happened behind the scenes. Los Alamitos was another short term dirty deal at the expense of the long term health of California Racing. The CTT and Del Mar were for Pomona and they were right.

[theiman]

Santa Anita can make turf racing much better and more challenging for the bettors, by adding in a turf extension to the current course. It would meet in where the races at 1.5M start and extend through the back parking lot. You would only need 3 furlongs to make it a one turn mile, 3.5F would allow you to have 1&1/16 mile races. If my math is correct, the current SA turf course is 7F and the 12F races go back 5F from the finish line then once around. There might be some slight angling of the course to fit in but I think it can be done.

It could be a downhill type of course too. By alternating between both courses, and usage of the rails you could run a lot of races. Think of seeing 6F, 6.5F, 7F, 7.5F, 8F and 8.5F. You would still use the current course and distances, just alternate weeks so that each course gets a break. The grass in the stretch would be used the most but rail placement and strengthening the grass in the stretch would be needed. The downhill course turn gets such little use that I am sure it could stand up to more races.

People might say what about all of the races crossing the dirt. Well every current distance on the turf at SA, except 1 mile, crosses or starts on the dirt.

I know they want to add stables to that back parking lot, and they can. However build them on the far side of the turf extension.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

I notice everything and I know what happened behind the scenes. Los Alamitos was another short term dirty deal at the expense of the long term health of California Racing. The CTT and Del Mar were for Pomona and they were right.

You haven't answered my questions. The Pomona fairgrounds make a lot of money, and not just during the fair.

So how much land were you going to take away from the fair to build a one mile track at a location that couldn't wait to get OUT of the live horse racing business but you are proposing to commit to stage more racing?

And do you expect Fairplex to just go along with this?

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

You haven't answered my questions. The Pomona fairgrounds make a lot of money, and not just during the fair.

So how much land were you going to take away from the fair to build a one mile track at a location that couldn't wait to get OUT of the live horse racing business but you are proposing to commit to stage more racing?

And do you expect Fairplex to just go along with this?

First of all Pomona/Fairplex loses a lot of money.

The Los Al deal was done because Jack Liebau and Doc Allred wanted it done. So did Mike Pegram and the TOC. Jack Liebau is the smartest guy in California Racing for decades but most of his short term deals benefit him and his friends at the expense of the long term health of California Racing. Liebau knew what was going on at Pomona and could have easily steered it there. We'd have a training center with a dirt and turf course but nooooooooooo. They also sold Los Al because of it's location. They told everyone they'd fill up the grandstand with people. That never happened.

Head of L.A. County Fair Assn. quits after Times investigation

Excerpt:

The chief executive of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn., who made more than $1 million in total compensation in 2014 even as the nonprofit organization reported steep financial losses, resigned Wednesday, saying he had "become a distraction" to its work.

Henwood's departure follows a Los Angeles Times investigation that found that he and other executives received lucrative pay and benefit packages despite several years of red ink at the association. The organization stages the annual fair and operates a number of year-round enterprises at the taxpayer-owned fairgrounds in Pomona.

In 2014, the most recent year for which figures are available, the association reported a loss of $3.44 million, federal tax returns show — its fifth straight year of negative results. During that period, compensation for Henwood and his top managers increased dramatically.