Photo:

Bob Mayberger / Eclipse Sportswire

The six-day winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos will begin Friday.

Racing will be conducted Friday to Sunday both weeks, Dec. 6-8 and 13-15. Post time will be 3:30 p.m. EST.

The winter season will be highlighted by a pair of Grade 2 events for 2-year-olds, the $200,000 Starlet for fillies Saturday and the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity Saturday, Dec. 14.

The Starlet is one of the races on the road to the Kentucky Oaks with the winner receiving 10 points toward a berth in May 2 Grade 1 race at Churchill Downs.

Nominees to the Starlet include Tenma, winner of the Del Mar Debutante (G1), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Vodka With a Twist and Desi Arnaz Stakes winner Practical Dream.

The Futurity is one of the events on the road to the Kentucky Derby. The winner earns 10 points toward a spot in the first jewel of the Triple Crown on May 3.

Among the nominees to the Futurity are the Bob Baffert-trained trio of Getaway Car, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero Citizen Bull and Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner Gaming and Bullard, impressive winner of the Bob Hope (G3) for trainer Michael McCarthy.

Since the race was moved to Los Alamitos from Hollywood Park, Baffert has won eight of the 10 renewals of the Futurity, with Dortmund in 2014, Mor Spirit in 2015, Mastery in 2016, McKinzie in 2017, Improbable in 2018, Thousand Words in 2019, Spielberg in 2020 and Wynstock last year.

Both the Futurity and the Starlet will be run at 1 1/16 miles.

The stakes program also includes a pair of one-mile races for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California, the $100,000 Soviet Problem for fillies and the $100,000 King Glorious.

The Soviet Problem will be run Sunday while the King Glorious will be contested Sunday, Dec. 15.

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

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

There will be a handicapping contest Dec. 14, and the Los Alamitos Racing Association will offer a cash prize and a pair of berths to 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. Permitted wagers include win, place, show, exactas, trifectas and daily doubles.