Rainbow 6 Jackpot Hit Thursday
Gulfstream Park’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot was hit Thursday for a $273,869.92 payoff. The Rainbow 6 had gone unsolved for eight programs before a single ticket was sold on the winning 8-1-8-2-4-6 combination Thursday through XpressBet. Heading into the last leg of the popular multi-race wager, the 11th race, there was only one horse that could have produced a carryover to Friday’s program. That horse, even-money favorite No. 8 Brodies Pick, appeared on his way to victory in deep stretch before being caught at the wire by No. 6 He Did It His Way, a 21-1 longshot who registered a head victory. The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is paid out only when there is a single ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot was last cracked on Friday, Jan. 23, when a bettor invested in a unique $115.20 ticket through the Portland, Ore. hub to earn a payoff of $159,411.24.
The Rainbow 6 will start anew on Friday’s program, when the six-race sequence will span Races 6-11.
The innovative wager has been an exciting offering on Gulfstream’s wagering menu in recent year, frequently producing life-changing payoffs, including a record $6.6 million jackpot last May.
The 50-cent Pick 5, which spanned the final five races on the 11-race program, also produced a lucrative payoff, returning $46,508.65 for the 1-8-2-4-6 combination.
Celebrity Star Pulls Off 28-1 Upset in Gulfstream Feature
Thursday’s featured 10th race at Gulfstream, a $48,000 entry-level optional claiming allowance, attracted Marty Wolfson-trained Wind Racer, an impressive debut winner last time out who was sent to post as the 1-10 favorite, and Bill Mott-trained Previous, the 3-1 second choice who broke her maiden at Gulfstream last season and who had been training brilliantly for her 2015 debut.
Trainer David Kassen was only looking for a promising performance from Celebrity Star but admitted that he didn’t expect the 28-1 longshot to win while coming off a 10-month layoff. But the 5-year-old daughter of Dehere fooled both her trainer and many bettors while posting a dominating front-running victory in the 6 ½-furlong event for fillies and mares.
“We had problems with her soundness and turned her out for a long time. We brought her back very slowly, working her slow most of the time by design while just trying to bring her back,” said Kassen, noting he had entered Celebrity Star in a claiming race that didn’t fill. “I thought she would need a race, but she obviously didn’t.”
Apprentice Tyler Gaffalione, who picked up the mount Thursday morning, rode Celebrity Star to her sixth-length victory over Wind Racer. Previous finished third, another half-length back. The Kassen trainee ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:18.92 over a sloppy track.
Celebrity Star showed promise as a 3-year-old while finishing second twice and breaking her maiden at Keeneland. She had raced three times during Gulfstream’s Championship Meet last season without success before being sidelined with an ankle injury.
Who’s Hot: Tyler Gaffalione rode a pair of winners, scoring aboard Cobrestiago ($10.60) in the fifth, as well as his unexpected triumph aboard Celebrity Star ($58.60).
Paco Lopez rode a pair of winners, scoring with Wildcat Lily ($3) in the sixth and Mach My Day ($7.20) in the eighth.
Trainer Jorge Navarro saddled back-to-back winners in the second and third races, visiting the winner’s circle with Pirate’s Vow ($13) and Lasso ($5), respectively. Both winners are owned by White Wabbit Wacing, LLC.
Source: Gulfstream Park