Long Beach Woman Wins $174,331 on $3 Bet

A retired woman from Long Beach, who bet only one horse in each race, picked the winners of the third, fourth and fifth races at Santa Anita Friday for a record triple payoff of $174,331.80.

The woman, who was not identified but described as being in her 60s, made her $3 bet on the early triple at Los Alamitos, an off-track betting site. The California record for a triple payoff had been $56,933.10, set at Hollywood Park in November of 1989.

The customary 20% tax deduction was made from the woman’s payoff.

All three of the horses in her triple were longshots, with Karl Nijinsky paying $211.20 to win after a stewards’ disqualification of the first-place finisher, True Pride, in the fourth race.

Karl Nijinsky, a 3-year-old colt, was winless in six starts and had three consecutive seventh-place finishes before the race. He was ridden by Joy Scott, who was making her first riding appearance at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting. The horse’s trainer is Sherman Keller, who was starting his first runner of the season.

Karl Nijinsky is a twin, a rarity among thoroughbreds.

The other winners in the big triple were Most Striking, who paid $58 after winning the third race under Omar Berrio; and Baja Prince, a $21.20 winner of the fifth race with Luis Ortega in the saddle. Gary Stevens had been scheduled to ride both horses, but stayed home Friday because of a sore leg.