FAIRPLEX : Payoff on the Double Is Record $4,362.40

The largest Daily Double return in the 52 years of racing at the Los Angeles County Fair was realized Monday at Fairplex Park when Pain And Glory combined with Skylaunch to yield $4,362.40 for a $2 bet.

The winning numbers were 1-10. The previous high was $1,676.40, set two years ago.

Pain And Glory was winless in four previous starts before paying $111.40 to win the fifth race. Pedro Mercado rode the 3-year-old gelding to a three-quarter-length victory.

Then, in the sixth, Skylaunch provided the fireworks, coming from far back under jockey Frank Olivares and returning $84.60.

Pain And Glory had not come closer than 11 1/2 lengths to winning in any of his previous starts, and Skylaunch was beaten by 15 3/4 lengths in his only other effort, three weeks ago at Del Mar.

After working Gin Rummy Judy around the tight turns of Santa Anita’s training track three days ago, trainer Jacque Fulton had no doubts about the filly’s ability to handle Fairplex Park.

“I worked her myself on the training track and she really took the turns,” Fulton said about the winner of the $42,400 Pio Pico Stakes.

“The turns are almost the same as at Fairplex and she seemed to like them.”

Gin Rummy Judy ran easily through the turns on Fairplex’s five-eighths-mile oval, settling six lengths off a fast early pace and making a bold move into the lead approaching the far turn before drawing off to a 4 3/4-length victory.

“I told (jockey David Flores) to grab her out of the gate, lay off the speed and get to the outside,” said Fulton.

Flores rode to near perfection, letting San Rama and Distinctive Sis sizzle through fractions of 21 2/5 for the opening quarter and 44 4/5 for the half.

After opening a big lead on the turn, Gin Rummy Judy coasted home in the 6 1/2-furlong dash, with Linda Card rallying for second and Skeeter running third in the field of nine fillies and mares. Pointedly, the 8-5 favorite, had no apparent excuses in finishing fifth under her 122-pound high weight.

Sent off at 5-1, Gin Rummy Judy returned $13.20 while covering the distance in 1:16 1/5.

Fairplex Notes

On an afternoon of big upsets, nobody had six or five winners in the Pick Six. Today’s carryover is $17,017. . . . Young Paul Atchison, in his first year at Fairplex, picked up his fourth winner when he guided JL’s Go at Once to victory in Monday’s second race. Atchison, 21, is from Idaho Falls, Ida.

With a riding triple Monday, Julio Garcia has moved into a tie with David Flores--at eight victories--for first in the jockey standings. Corey Black was excused from his mounts Monday because he was ill. . . . Valiant Pete, coming off a track-record performance at Los Alamitos, is the favorite to win today’s $52,550 Aprisa Handicap at six furlongs.