Nine Thoroughbreds Scratched in Dispute

Nine thoroughbreds were scratched from Friday’s program at Los Alamitos after a dispute concerning their eligibility arose between the California Horse Racing Board and the Horsemen’s Quarter Horse Assn., which conducts quarter horse racing at Los Alamitos.

The dispute concerns a regulation that expired on Dec. 31 that allowed thoroughbreds and Appaloosas to compete against quarter horses in 870-yard races. When the regulation expired, the HQHRA assumed that mixed-breed racing would continue. The CHRB, however, told HQHRA officials late Friday that thoroughbreds were ineligible.

Four 870-yard races were affected on Friday’s program. Three thoroughbreds have been entered for today and 10 for Sunday; their status was unknown late Friday night.

In late December, Roy Minami, an assistant executive director with the CHRB, sent a memo to the Los Alamitos stewards stating that mixed-breed racing could continue through the quarter horse meeting, which will end Jan. 17. A second memo from Minami, dated Wednesday, directed the stewards to ban mixed-breed racing.