Los Alamitos Cancels Final Six Daytime Races July 6

After meeting with jockeys to address concerns about extreme heat, track management at Los Alamitos Race Course decided to cancel the final six races of its July 6 card.

With temperatures in the triple digits and climbing on a record-setting day in Southern California, Los Alamitos ran the first two races of the eight-race card, but jockeys requested to meet with track management ahead of the third race. The forecast a day prior called for a high of 107 degrees in Cypress, Calif., where Los Alamitos is located.

"The conversation was really pretty simple. They told me that they thought it was unsafe for them to ride," said Jack Liebau, vice president of the Los Alamitos Racing Association. "I told them my opinion has always been—and I've been in this business since 1992—if the jockeys say it's unsafe to ride, they shouldn't ride.

"But I pointed out to them they ride at Sacramento, where it's a lot hotter, and they ran at Pomona, where it was a lot hotter and there was smog and everything else. I don't think they're treating us fairly. The business is tough enough with everybody cooperating."

According to California Horse Racing Board safety steward Luis Jauregui, the conditions at Los Alamitos did not exceed the guidelines of CHRB protocol. On Thursday CHRB equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur explained the protocol and the use of a heat index—which factors in temperature, humidity, and wind—when determining if it is safe to run. Based on estimations Thursday, Arthur said the conditions at Los Alamitos were expected to be "very manageable."

BALAN: Los Alamitos, CHRB Prepare for Intense Heat

Darrell Haire, the Jockeys' Guild western regional manager, was in the meeting with track management and said the riders felt they would be "pushing the envelope" if they continued to race.

"The riders felt after the first race that they were having trouble breathing. The air was just still and thick. They couldn't get their air," Haire said. "The winner after the first race was stumbling coming back and was exhausted. One rider told me it felt like his horse was having a heat stroke before they got to the gate.

"And it was probably going to get hotter. They're all concerned about the horses and themselves. They know when you cross the line. ... Not one jockey in here felt it was safe to go out and ride (the next race). I asked them all."

Los Alamitos officials said the races that didn't run Friday will likely be run during the track's closing week, July 12-15.