I virtually almost had it

More than $800,000 poured into the Pick 6 pool Wednesday at Aqueduct, chasing a two-day carryover of almost $206,000. Megabucks syndicates and small players risking $32 or $48 watched a string of short-priced winners guarantee there would be no three-day carryover. There would be no life-changing scores.

Favorites She's My Sunshine ($5.30) and Bebob ($4.80) won the first two legs before Volos ($9.10) got my virtual ticket of $576 halfway home. Since I never play the Pick 6, I wasn't kicking myself for not investing in the suggested play on yesterday's blog. When two more chalks, Raw Silk ($5.80) and Cosmic ($4.10), took the fourth and fifth legs, I was alive to three horses (3-2 favorite Bontempi, Wonderous Day, Sir Cryptomite) in the finale. Unfortunately, none of them was paying much, but when Bontempi opened a daylight lead in midstretch, I was pleased. Maybe somebody who took my suggestions would make some money, even though a Bontempi victory would have paid only $902. Better than ripping up tickets, and handing out a Pick 6 in cyberspace should count for something, right?

But no. It was right there, and then it wasn't. Out of the pack emerged the professional maiden Sky Dragon, who went off at 3-1 despite an 0-for-13 career record, including 0-for-10 on the grass. He passed Bontempi with maybe 100 yards to go and completed a Pick 6 worth $1,015. The five-winner consolation paid a puny $21.40, not even worth collecting if you'd blown $576, only to be tortured.

Such excruciating moments are recalled with horror years later. As Sky Dragon burned up my mind-bet ticket, I was so thankful that I don't play the Pick 6.