Cheroot drives to upset victory at Santa Anita

The Daytona 500 had a surprise winner in Ryan Newman, and closer to home the Daytona Handicap at Santa Anita on Sunday also produced an upset.

Cheroot, a 28-1 longshot, prevailed in a blanket finish, triggering a three-day pick six carry-over of $1,269,223 for today’s holiday racing program.

The total Presidents Day pool could approach record numbers for the 10-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. The Santa Anita record pool for a three-day carry-over is $1,413,136, set March 2, 2004. The following day it swelled to a track record of $7,302,848.

The pick six pool sequence today will begin with the fifth race and include the Grade II, $150,000 Buena Vista Handicap for fillies and mares at one mile on turf, in which Black Mamba is listed as the morning-line favorite at 5-2.

J. Paul Reddam’s Notional, a leading Triple Crown candidate last year before fracturing an ankle in April, returned to action in Sunday’s Daytona Handicap, but a belated run in the 6 1/2 -furlong turf race could gain him no better than third.

A 7-year-old California-bred son of Smokester, Cheroot prevailed between horses in a driving finish, nosing out Moth Ball, another longshot at 16-1.

Martin Pedroza rode the winner, who was making his first start since November, when he faded to seventh in California Cup Classic after setting the early pace.

On the recommendation of his son and assistant, Cris, trainer Darrell Vienna opted for a race on the downhill turf course for Cheroot’s return.

“We missed some training and he wasn’t ready to go longer,” Vienna said. “Actually, Cris wanted to run him 6 1/2 down the hill for a long time, so this fit.”

In recording his sixth victory in 27 career starts for owner-breeder Charlotte M. Wrather, Cheroot paid $58.80, $25.60 and $10.40.

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Trainer Jeff Mullins, cited last month by the California Horse Racing Board for a drug violation and suspended 90 days, will begin serving that suspension today.

He will have to serve only 20 days if he obeys all horse racing rules and CHRB regulations during a one-year probation period.

The suspension stems from a positive test for the local anesthetic mepivacaine in one of Mullins’ horses, Robs Coin, who finished second in a race at Hollywood Park July 8, 2006.

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The CHRB will hold a public meeting Wednesday in the Baldwin Terrance Room at Santa Anita to discuss racing surfaces in general and synthetic tracks in particular. A cross section of 38 people involved in horse racing have been invited to participate on a panel. The proceedings will be televised by HRTV and videocast on chrb.ca.gov, beginning at 10 a.m.

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larry.stewart@latimes.com