Ring it up: $1 million for local man

His experience playing horseshoes as a boy paid off in a big way for John Placzankis on Saturday at Santa Anita.

A New York native who lives in Rancho Cucamonga, Placzankis, a warehouse manager for Old Dominion Freight Line, became an instant millionaire when he threw a ringer at the track’s annual St. Patrick’s Day horseshoe pitch.

One of five who got a chance to throw for riches after having their names drawn at random, Placzankis, 41, became the first person to win $1 million in a promotion that is decades old.

Although he said he had not thrown a horseshoe since he was about 11, he pitches for a slow-pitch softball team and that’s what he thought of when he got his opportunity.

“I just tried to relax and throw it just like the softball,” said Placzankis, who moved to California from New Rochelle, N.Y., nearly eight years ago. “When I let it go, I knew it was on line, but I thought it might be a little short. I was hoping it would bounce on [the stake].”

Placzankis said he plans to use some of the money to go to New York and take care of his mother, nieces and nephews.

-- Bob Mieszerski