Long shots winners are a way of life at every racetrack in the country, but the sixth race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday was a favorite-haters dream. 

    The race was a $10,000 claimer at 1 1/16 miles on the grass offering $6,380 to the winner, who turned out to be Automatic, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Carpe Diem. Angel Suarez rode Automatic, who went of at odds of 38-1 and paid $79.00, $29.80 and $15.20 after defeating Brown Essence by one-half length.

    Brown Essence was 71-1 under Tomas Mejia, and paid $49.80 and $19.80, finishing a nose ahead of Neat Street.

    Neat Street, with Samy Camacho, was a mere 13-1 and paid $8.80 to show. He finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Ready to Mingle, who was 12-1 with Olaf Hernandez. 

    After the race, the tote board bore a resemblance to the scene in The Natural when Roy Hobbs hit one off the scoreboard and started an explosion of lights. The $2 double with Don H, the $12 winner of the previous race, paid $458, and the $2 exacta paid $2,669.80.  

    The 50-cent trifecta came back $4,202.95, and the 10-cent superfecta paid $7,919.14. The 50-cent Pick 3 including Magdalena ($17.20) in the fourth race paid $1,152.50. 

    Sinatra Devil, the 6/5 favorite with Wilmer Garcia, finished fifth.  

     

     

    

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