Some people call it Breeders' Cup Day.

Others know better.

To them it's racing into the Twilight Zone.

It's the only place you see movie stars perspire.

It's where you see a wild horse buck off its rider behind the gate and then win easy as you please.

It's where all but two horses in a dirt race look the same.

It's where all but one horse in a grass race look the same.

It's where horses have to leap dirt on the grass course.

It's where the farther outside you are in the gate, the better.

It's where there are heat strokes in late October.

It's where expert handicappers pick horses that consistently run closer to last than first.

It's where everything wins up front on the dirt early in the card.

It's where a horse comes from last to win on the dirt late in the card.

It's where the Photo light is on so long, it almost burns out.

It's where one of the most popular choices in the Classic can't run in a straight line.

It's where the television angle on a dead heat shows one horse to appear to win.

It's where in a dead heat the television race announcer calls as the winner the horse that appeared to have won.

It's where the rider of a horse in a dead heat is interviewed as though he won.

It's where a horse that has only won a maiden race wins easily.

It's where horses that are coming from New York run like donkeys.

It's where on the racing surface you can see the horse's whole foot, like they were running on glass.

It's where one trainer wins half the races when most of the gamblers can't pick a fourth of the races.

It's where there is no such thing as an Exacta without the All button.

It's where the excellent trainer Richard Mandella quoted the excellent actor Richard Dreyfuss from the excellent motion picture, "Let It Ride," saying he was having a very good day.

It's where I made my best pick ever. You can look it up. I predicted that in the Breeders' Cup Turf race, the Photo light would be necessary. This race ended in the first dead heat in Cup history. A lasting impressing of this pick is of the Photo light beginning to fade from extended use.