Magna 5 Might Be the Ticket

Horseplayers who believe daily doubles, pick threes, pick fours, pick sixes or pick alls don’t offer enough variety, are in luck, starting today.

Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns various tracks, including Santa Anita, is unveiling the Magna 5, a pick five that features races from four of its tracks and has a guaranteed pool of $500,000.

The $2 minimum bet, which will be offered every Saturday, has a takeout rate of 22%, higher than the normal exotic takeout rate in California. The inaugural Magna 5 begins with Laurel’s ninth race, then continues with Gulfstream Park’s ninth, Golden Gate Fields’ third, the 10th from Gulfstream Park and the fifth from Santa Anita.

If no ticket is able to isolate all five winners on a given Saturday, 25% of the total pool will be paid in consolations and the remaining 75% will be carried over to the following week.

Race of the day: Chindi, a 10-year-old El Prado gelding, will try for his 18th victory in today’s $50,000 King Cotton at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Steve Hobby, Chindi has earned six of his wins at the Arkansas track.

One for the road: Red Rioja was second to Garden In The Rain in her last race on Oct. 15 and can make a successful return in today’s $100,000 Brown Bess Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

Exotically speaking: A pick four using Royal Place, Hotel Hall, Hell Cat and Infinite Faith in the sixth, Jungle Prince, Four Song Limit and Jimmy’s Instinct in the seventh, Congaree in the eighth and Trois Villes and Seneca Point in the ninth.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 2/84. Money: Previous day/meet total: $8.20/$475.80. Total money bet: $464.