Thoroughbreds hit the dirt at Los Alamitos for 12 days

A warning to bettors who like to handicap turf races: There will be no grass racing in Southern California for the next three weeks as Los Alamitos Race Course begins its 12-day Summer Thoroughbred Festival on Thursday with an eight-race program.
The Festival is the first of three race meets that will be hosted this year by Los Alamitos, which has never had a turf course but, at 1,380 feet, has the longest stretch in the country.
Even without a turf course, there figures to be enough quality dir