It happens every day at a racetrack. It also happens prior to a day's racing program.

Horseplayers are looking for longshots. Information is studied in great detail to find a horse that could put together a win at large odds. Form, class, workouts, trainer angles. All of these and more are analyzed before a wager is made. And it is certainly not uncommon for someone to choose a longshot just by their name.

Longshots might not be frequent, but they are also not impossible. You shall find them at smaller tracks sooner or later, and they shall appear at the grandest venues in the sport.

Racing fans who attended Santa Anita on February 4, 1938 saw such a horse. And that Thoroughbred got the program started with a shocking result.

It was the thirtieth day of the meet, just past the halfway point of the fifty-six season. The afternoon began with a six furlong claiming contest. A dozen horses comprised the lineup, and they were divided into three categories: the principal contenders, the middle-priced horses, and the longshots.

The betting public saw the opener as a three-horse race. Leading the field was Nigrette, who had odds of 2.20-1. City Slicker followed at 2.80-1, while The Bailiff came next at 3.80-1. Everyone else was over 8-1 when betting closed.

For those who backed Nigrette, things looked promising early on. The favorite set the pace for the first part of the race, leading comfortably over longshot Berenda after a half-mile. They stayed one-two for a little while longer, but Berenda had the lead in the stretch as Nigrette now battled fellow longshot Playmay for second. Also in the mix was Valina, one of the race's middle priced horses at almost 9-1.

With the favorite no longer leading, countless racing fans watched as the stretch run continued. And for those who had Berenda, Playmay or Valina on their tickets, the excitement grew. There was a chance they could collect at the betting windows after the race went official. But no matter who won, the day's action would begin with an upset.

When the race finished, the backers of Playmay were the ones celebrating. Getting up in time, she won by a neck. But with that win and the main share of the purse came another distinction. When the win payout for Playmay was revealed, the fans learned she had become the biggest longshot winner in Santa Anita's history.

She had astronomical odds of 335.70-1, which gave bettors $673.40 for a $2 win ticket. As for those who bet the mare to place, they cashed a good ticket in their own right. They pocketed $141.60, also a record.

And how about those who bet her to show? They did well, too. Their ticket was worth no less than $104.60.

This was the second time at the meet that fans saw a horse set a new record for the biggest win payout. Before Playmay came along, Stop Scout pulled off a stunner on December 29. One of the longest shots on the tote board that day, he paid $196.60.

It only took a few weeks for Playmay to overtake Stop Scout. No one would leapfrog her for the rest of the meet. And no one has been able to do so since. That also goes for the place payout, for Playmay still has that record, too (Der Ali set the show record of $139.20 in 2006).

Playmay did not win a stakes race on February 4, 1938. But she didn't have to. After she captured that claiming race, it can be said that it only took her a little more than a minute to earn a place in Santa Anita history.