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Community Corner

Horse Racing Kicks Off at Fair

This year's Alameda County Fair will feature six thoroughbred stakes races.

What has become one of the more cherished summer rituals in Pleasanton, the horse racing at the Alameda County Fair, kicks off Thursday.

The meet will run through July 10, with five days — June 27-29 and July 5-6 — of no racing.

There will be six thoroughbred stakes races, with the final weekend featuring the always talent-laden Everett Nevin Alameda County Stakes for 2-year-olds on  July 9 and the Sam J. Whiting Memorial Handicap – a six-furlong race that attracts some of the top sprinters in Northern California — on closing day.

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On Saturday, the Wathba Stud Farms Stakes for Arabians will be held. 

H.H. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has donated $10,000 to be split among five Arabian races at five fairs. That $2,000 added to the race makes the purse $7,000. The sheikh will not be at the race, but a party of about 20 from the United Arab Emirates is expected to be on hand. Post time each day is 1:15 p.m. 

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The Daily Handicapping Seminar, featuring track announcer Frank Mirahmadi and local turf writer Dennis Miller, will go over each day’s program. The two will talk to guests most days; annual guests have included jockey Russell Baze and local trainer Jeff Bonde.

Other race events this year include the Win, Place and Show contest and the $10,000 Putting Challenge.

Both events can be entered daily in the grandstand area. The Derby Dog Dash will be back on July 2 and July 9. There will be no Win, Place and Show contest those two days.

July 8 is the Secretariat ball cap giveaway for the first 1,000 people who enter the Win, Place and Show contest.

STAKES SCHEDULE

Saturday, 43rd Alameda County Fillies and Mares; July 1, Livermore Valley Wine Country Stakes; July 2, 33rd Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes; July 4, 45th Alamedan Handicap; July 9, Everett Nevin Alameda County Stakes; July 10, 49th Sam J. Whiting Memorial Handicap.

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