Horse Racing Roundup : Happy In Space Wins; 2 Tickets Split Pick Nine

Happy In Space outran the three front-runners in the final furlong to win the $82,150 Sierra Madre Handicap Thursday before a crowd of 38,596 at Santa Anita.

Alex Solis brought Happy In Space wide into the stretch, and the 4-year-old gelding beat Caballo De Oro by a neck. Will Dancer was another half-length back.

Happy In Space was timed in 1:13 4/5 for about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. The victory was worth $48,400 to the winner, who returned $16.20, $8.20 and $4.40.

Caballo De Oro, under Rafael Meza, paid $13 and $6, while Will Dancer, with Aaron Gryder up, paid $3 to show.

Gary Stevens rode four winners to push his meet-leading total to 88 victories. He rode Tip A Sou in the second race, Blazing Zulu in the fifth, Put The Case in the sixth and Sorority Rush in the ninth.

Two bettors selected all nine winners in the Pick Nine, making each ticket worth almost $1.2 million.

One ticket was purchased at Santa Anita, the other at one of the six Southern California inter-track wagering satellites.

Only three favorites won. A total of $637,951 was bet on the Pick Nine, and there was a carryover of $1.8 million from Wednesday.

The only higher Pick Nine payoffs at Santa Anita were $1.9 million in February 1986 and $1.7 million last month.

In Albany, Calif., Russell Baze rode Variety Road, the odds-on favorite, to a three-length victory over Fairly Affirmed in the $51,500 Silky Sullivan Invitational Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

Variety Road covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 and paid $3.40 to win.