Favored Goodbye Halo Scores 5-Length Win

Odds-on favorite Goodbye Halo took the lead early and coasted to a five-length victory over long shot Bolchina in the $81,650 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies before a crowd of 19,748 Wednesday at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Jorge Velasquez and carrying high weight of 123 pounds, Goodbye Halo was timed in 1:23 2/5 for seven furlongs on a fast track and paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40.

A 6-to-1 shot helped three Los Angeles men win $1.7 million in the Pick Nine wagering at Santa Anita Wednesday, the second-largest pari-mutuel prize in the track’s history.

The three, who identified themselves only as “track regulars,” earned nearly $1.4 million after taxes for picking all nine winners at the thoroughbred track.

The only bigger payoff at Santa Anita was a $1.9 million Pick Nine in 1986.

The three wagered $576 on the winning ticket, but also had two other Pick Nine tickets adding up to about $5,000 each.