Los Angeles County Fair meet begins next week at Los Alamitos

Three stakes worth a combined $400,000 highlight the 2024 Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos.

The eight-day season will begin Saturday, June 22, and continue through Sunday, July 7. Racing will be conducted Saturday-Sunday, June 22-23 and 29-30, the first two weeks and Thursday-Sunday, July 4-7, the final week. Post time will be 4 p.m. EDT.

The richest of the stakes races is the Grade 2, $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M. Stakes. The race at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, will be offered Saturday, July 6.

The initial stakes of the season is the $100,000 Bertrando for 3-year-olds and up bred or sired in California. The one-mile race will be run Saturday, June 22.

The other stakes event is the $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. The derby will be run Saturday, June 29.

The wagering menu includes a pair of $1 Pick 4s on races 2-5 and the final four races along with a $2 Pick 6 as well as the Players’ Pick 5, a 50-cent minimum bet with a reduced takeout rate of 14 percent rate, on the first five races.

The Pick 6 will have the standard 70-30 split, with 70 percent of the pool going to those tickets with six winners with the remaining 30 percent going to tickets with five of six winners.

The Los Alamitos Racing Association will seed the Pick Six with $10,000 Saturday, June 29, and Saturday, July 6, provided there is no carryover.

There will also be a handicapping contest Saturday, July 6, and the LARA will offer a cash prize and a pair of berths in the 2025 National Thoroughbred Racing Association Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.

The cost to enter is $500. Of that amount, $100 will be placed in the contest prize pool with the remaining $400 going toward a live-money wagering card.

Tournament races will include the entire card at Los Alamitos with permitted wagers including win, place, show, exactas, trifectas and daily double.

Entries for opening day of the LACF meet will be taken Tuesday, June 18.