Woodbine Winners is an inside look at how horseplayers and bettors – from novices to pros – strike gold when playing the races at Woodbine. As part of the ongoing Woodbine Winners series, we're going to show you tickets that result in life-changing scores, get insights into how the bets were made and learn more about the people who hit those winning tickets. 

One of the glamour bets at Woodbine is their Power Pick-6. The goal of the wager, which can be played for a 20-cent base, is to pick six consecutive winners on the card. There is a twist compared to the traditional pick 6: the entire pool is paid out only when there is one unique winning ticket.

Recently, one savvy bettor from Nassau County, New York captured that entire pool, taking home more than $78,000 for their effort. Here's a look at how they turned a relatively small amount of money into a life-changing payday.

The day and races: Saturday, Aug. 28, races 5-10

The play: 20-cent Power Pick 6, 1, 2, 3, 6/1, 2, 4, 9/4, 6, 7/1, 5/1, 3/4, 8, 10 = $115.20

The sequence: The Power Pick 6 started off on a strong note for the winning bettor, as 7.60-1 shot Ready Lady (#3) got up to win the fifth race. 1.05-1 favorite Swoop to Finish, who was used on many tickets, was a well-beaten fifth. This knocked many bettors out of the sequence just as it got started.

The next two races went smoothly, as 3.45-1 Gendragon (#1) won race 6, and 1.85-1 favorite Transient (#6) prevailed in race 7. The sequence was halfway over, and this bettor was still alive heading into perhaps the most important race of the day: the Bison City Stakes. 

Il Malocchio's Bison City win was the key to a massive Power Pick 6 score. (Michael Burns/Woodbine Photo)

Miss Speedy (#1) was an overwhelming favorite, going off as the 0.45-1 favorite. The bettor used her, but also threw in Il Malocchio (#5), who was the 4.75-1 third choice in the field of six. If Miss Speedy lost, it would knock out the majority of Power Pick 6 tickets, as most bettors decided to single this heavy favorite. If Il Malocchio pulled off the upset, this bettor would be in great shape. They'd have beaten three favorites in four races, including an odds-on choice, and set themselves up for a big payoff.

Miss Speedy lived up to her name in the Bison City, as she opened up a six-length lead heading up the backstretch. That fast early pace tired her out, and she had nothing left to give in the stretch. She faded to fourth, while Il Malocchio got up in the last few strides for a half-length win. Suddenly, this bettor was in line for a massive score.

In the ninth race, the bettor got home another decent-priced winner. 7.45-1 She's Got Moves (#3) wore down the early leader to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The bettor was now one race away from winning the Power Pick 6 and was three horses deep in the final leg. 

In race 10, the bettor used Hassah (#4), favored Canadian Magic (#8), and Modus Operandi (#10). All three were in contention turning for home, but 6.40-1 Modus Operandi pulled clear in the final eighth to win by 2 1/2 lengths. 

The payoff: $78,969.22

This sequence didn't feature any surprising longshots. No winner went off at 10-1 or more. The key to this bettor's big score was a string of losing favorites. Only one favorite won in the sequence, and a heavy odds-on choice was defeated. They took the risk and used some outside-the-box horses, and the result was a score to remember.