Marathon Has Record Purse

Although it doesn’t match the $1,313,700 Los Alamitos Million or the $500,000 Champion of Champions the last two nights, the $200,000 Marathon National offers the largest purse ever for an 870-yard race.

The Grade I attracted eight distance specialists, including the venerable Sign Of Lanty.

The winner of this race the last three years when its purse was between $81,000-$81,800, Sign Of Lanty will try for his 28th lifetime victory tonight for owners Jackie and Rod Macpherson and trainer John Cooper.

Two races before the Marathon, Harley Man will try for his second derby win of the year when he takes on nine other 3-year-olds in the $163,450 Southern California Derby at 400 yards.

The picks: 1. Doonies Dancer. 2. Flying Tapestry. 3. Fmr Petes Sake. 4. Its A Chicks. 5. Ano Lani. 6. Magical Nick. 7. Harley Man. 8. Cha Cha Ching. 9. King Rick Rack. 10. Running Smashed.

Four! Use L.B. Down and Doonies Dancer in the first, single Flying Tapestry in the second, Adrenalin O, Fmr Petes Sake, Fs Flame and Seyvilla Samsagain in the third and Its A Chicks, Harney and Go Green Go in the fourth.

Shots in the dark: Local Call drops to his winning level in the sixth. Kazzin A Splash makes his Los Alamitos debut in the eighth.

Post time: 5:30 p.m.

On the Net: For entries and results from Los Alamitos, visit: www.latimes.com/horseracing/