Playthatfunnymusic's upset win triggers $837K pick six carryover

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Joey Martinez will always remember his first win as a jockey, and may have created a life-changing opportunity for bettors chasing the pick six at Aqueduct.

Martinez, 23, guided Playthatfunnymusic ($40) to an upset victory in Thursday’s eighth race and in the process triggered an $837,570 carryover into Friday’s card. The pick six at Aqueduct has not been hit since Dec. 2; Thursday was the fourth consecutive program which the bet was not hit.

Entering the final leg of the wager, there was one entity alive for the entire pick six pool of $837,570. That person or group had invested $70,972, according to the New York Racing Association, and was alive to three horses. But that trio of Go Pita Go, Blarney Stones, and Indian Solider finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Instead, it was Playthatfunnymusic outdueling Massena, who was on the rail, and then holding off a late run from Ornato, to get the win by a neck. Ornato nosed out Massena for second.

For Martinez, it was his first win in his sixth career mount. He started riding last month.

Martinez has been galloping horses since he was 18, doing so for trainers such as George Weaver, Mark Hennig, Tom Albertrani, Kiaran McLaughlin, Jimmy toner, Robert Barbara, and John Kimmel.

Martinez comes from a family of riders including his grandfather, Jose Martinez Sr., and his father, Jose Martinez Jr. His cousins include David Lopez, Erick Lopez, and C.C. Lopez. His uncle is Willie Martinez.

“I have a family of race riders, it’s only right I do it,” Martinez said.

Born in Brooklyn, Martinez said he learned all about riding on the racetrack and did not attend a riding school. He said he learned the basics galloping at Tampa Bay Downs before returning to New York.

“This is all I ever wanted to do since I was a little kid,” said Martinez, who is represented by agent Sal Russo. “To have my first win at Aqueduct where my grandfather started, my dad started and now I started ... it means a lot. It’s like a dream come true.”

Friday, bettors will be trying to make their own dreams come true chasing a pick six that figures to have more than $2 million in the pool. All but three tickets were knocked out after Riff Raff ($143.50) upset race 7 at 70-1 under Aaron Gryder. Thursday’s other pick-6 winners included Gorgeous Charli ($15.20), Can’t Do It Sally ($12.20), About That Base ($3.80), and Sabrina Ballerina ($8).

It’s another eight-race card at Aqueduct so the pick-6 starts in race 3 (1:18 p.m.).