Racehorse Dies Training At Los Alamitos Race Course

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — A 2-year-old colt yet to reach the starting gates died during training last week at Los Alamitos Race Course, state records show. Royal Callan Rocks, a 2-year-old colt died while training on the dirt track, Thursday. The horse, trained by Jose A Flores, but no other information was immediately available.

The California Horse Racing Board reported the death, and attempts to reach the track for comment Tuesday were not successful.

Orange County has yet to decide if the race course should remain an essential business in the time of the coronavirus shutdown. Last week, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia closed down its course to all racing activities.

Thus far, Los Alamitos has remained open via livestreaming video, running races with no fans in attendance.

CHRB officials said they were "relying on state, county and local health authorities to determine whether horse racing is deemed essential for exemption from shelter-in-place orders issued by those authorities."

The horse racing board said it would "assist health authorities in enforcing their decisions."

Two horses died at Los Alamitos last month: Flokie, a 2-year-old gelding who won the $1,070,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity in September, was killed March 29, and Chickititas Favorite, a 3-year-old gelding, died at the track on March 8.

Radio Tim, a 3-year-old gelding, and Street Machine, a 5-year-old gelding, were fatally injured on Feb. 21, and four horses sustained fatal injuries in January at the race course.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.