Jackpot Awaits Those With Sixth Sense

Horseplayers all over the country will be hoping to do what G.D. Heironymous and 18 investors did on Breeders’ Cup Day last year.

With a $192 Pick Six ticket that included improbable winners Anees and Cat Thief, Heironymous, who lives in Kentucky, had the only winning ticket and collected more than $3 million.

Given the size of the fields--barring late scratches, there are 83 horses in the Pick Six races--and how wide open many of the Breeders’ Cup contests are, it is possible there could be only one winner again today.

A $5-million pool is guaranteed, so thoroughbred racing’s best day is one to pool your resources with some friends and take a shot at possibly changing your life.

Following is a suggested $216 ticket:

MILE--Indian Lodge, War Chant, Ladies Din and Walkslikeaduck. Indian Lodge won two Group I races in Europe earlier this year and has won five times at the distance. War Chant didn’t beat the greatest field in the world in the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile, but it was his first race on the grass and his trainer, Neil Drysdale, has won five of 20 races in the Breeders’ Cup. Ladies Din disappointed at Woodbine in the Atto Mile, but certainly fits off his win in the Eddie Read Handicap and his second to Silic, last year’s Mile winner, in the Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile in June. Walkslikeaduck has won three of his last four on the turf and is worth including because he is 30-1 on the morning line. If he happens to win, a majority of tickets will be eliminated immediately.

SPRINT--Kona Gold, Honest Lady and Caller One. Third in this race two years ago and second in 1999, the 6-year-old gelding may be able to provide jockey Alex Solis with his first Breeders’ Cup victory. The son of Java Gold has been pointed to the Sprint all year long and should get a great trip stalking what should be a sizzling pace. Honest Lady has run well against males in the past, has had excuses for her last two and will benefit from the anticipated fast fractions. Closers have had some luck in the Sprint before. Caller One is probably the best of the early speed types, so he could be long gone if he is able to clear his pace rivals early.

FILLY & MARE TURF--Petrushka. The classy 3-year-old filly has won five of seven turf races and has three consecutive Group I wins. She looks like a Pick Six single and is proven on any kind of surface, so a soft course won’t bother her.

JUVENILE--Arabian Light, A P Valentine and Flame Thrower. The best Juvenile in memory includes several promising colts and the 2001 Kentucky Derby winner is probably in this field. Arabian Light is going to have to improve, but he showed the ability to rally from off the pace in the Lanes End Futurity on a speed-baised track at Keeneland, and that ability should serve him well today. A P Valentine was professional in his victory in the Champagne in his stakes debut, and all Flame Thrower has done is win all four of his starts. The Saint Ballado colt has shown incredible tenacity in his two most recent victories , outgaming Street Cry in the Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk.

TURF--Kalanisi, Montjeu and Ciro. Kalanisi and Montjeu just ran 1-2 in a Group I race in England last month and they have shown their quality time and again. Ciro, a 3-year-old, has blossomed since arriving in the United States. He upset the highly regarded King Cugat, who is a participant in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, in his first race in the country, then won the Lawrence Realization at Belmont Park a month later.

CLASSIC--Fusaichi Pegasus. He toyed with his rivals in the Jerome Handicap in his only start since his shocking loss in the Preakness and is coming up to this race in spectacular fashion. The fact the ultra-cautious Drysdale is running the Kentucky Derby winner suggests the colt is on top of his game and he is already proven on this surface. He can end the day the way A.P. Indy did eight years ago for the same trainer.

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Before the Breeders’ Cup begins, Santa Anita will have two live races with first post scheduled for 9:15 a.m. After the Breeders’ Cup Classic is run, Santa Anita will resume its card with five more races.

Bay Meadows in Northern California is running the majority of its races in competition with the Breeders’ Cup, considered the sport’s Super Bowl. The track will begin its 10-race card at 11 a.m. Nine of the races are claiming events.

Horse Racing Notes

Laffit Pincay Jr., who is on his way to his first Oak Tree riding title since 1982, had two winners Friday and leads Victor Espinoza, 29-23, with three days left in the meet. Pincay’s career total stands at 9,010. . . . One of Pincay’s wins Friday came on Saint Wynn, who held off 7-5 favorite and stablemate Casey Griffin in the $65,775 Skywalker Handicap. Saint Wynn, a 4-year-old son of Saint Ballado, completed the mile in 1:36 1/5 in a strong wind. The victory by the 4-1 fourth choice in the field of five gave trainer Vladimir Cerin his third consecutive win in the Skywalker. . . . Happyanunoit, who has been beaten in her last two starts, was among 10 fillies and mares entered in Sunday’s $175,000 Las Palmas Handicap at Santa Anita. Corey Nakatani will ride the 121-pound highweight for trainer Bobby Frankel. The rest of the field, from the rail out, includes Smooth Player, Polaire, Alexine, New Story, Beautiful Noise, Gleefully, Follow The Money, Juvenia and Elegant Ridge.

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A Run for the Money

There is a guaranteed $5-million Pick Six pool for the Breeders’ Cup today.

Here are Times handicapper Bob Mieszerski’s picks for a $216 ticket:

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MILE Indian Lodge, War Chant, Ladies Din and Walkslikeaduck SPRINT Kona Gold, Honest Lady and Caller One FILLY AND MARE TURF Petrushka JUVENILE Arabian Light, A P Valentine and Flame Thrower TURF Kalanisi, Montjeu and Ciro CLASSIC Fusaichi Pegasus

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