Hugh Hefner is alive and well and winning at Yonkers Raceway.

The New Zealand-bred 9-year-old gelding, named for the Playboy founder, won the seventh race Thursday night on the day after his namesake passed.

“He opened up at 1-5 which is pretty unheard of and that was probably more or less the hunch plays,” said Doug Dilloian, Jr, trainer of Hugh Hefner N.

According to Dilloian, the horse was well suited to the conditions of the race and it was no surprise that he won as the 6-5 favorite.

Perhaps Hugh Hefner N was carrying on a trend started in 1995 when Cherry Garcia won the evening that Jerry Garcia died.

“Whether the Heavens had something to do with it or the horse was just good I don’t know, but we’ll take it either way,” Dilloian said.

So the next time someone famous passes away, bettors better check the program at Yonkers just in case.