With big carryover, Rainbow 6 must cash Sunday at Gulfstream
The excitement generated by Saturday’s $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) on the inaugural 1/ST Saturday program will be carried over to Sunday’s card at Gulfstream Park, where there will be a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 carryover pool.
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The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for five racing days following a Feb. 26 mandatory payout, creating a carryover pool of $274,672.44 at the start of wagering on the sequence, which will span races 7-12. The first leg has a scheduled post time of 3:08 p.m. EST.
The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is usually paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool normally goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
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However, on mandatory-payout days, the entire pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the six-race sequence.
A mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds on turf will kick off the Rainbow 6 sequence in race 7, in which Gooch Go Bragh, who finished second last time out, is scheduled to make his first start off the claim for trainer Danny Gargan as the 2-1 morning-line favorite. In the same race, Todd Pletcher-trained Fiery Heart, who disappointed in an off-the-turf maiden special-weight race following a promising third in his debut, returns to the turf Sunday while wearing blinkers for the first time.
A competitive field of 10 $6,250 claimers has been assembled for race 8, in which Jorge Delgado-trained Papa Honor is rated as the 7-5 morning-line favorite off a victory going through his lifetime condition with a victory against $12,500 claiming company. Delgado also sends out Malibu Max, who drops back to the level where he won three starts back. Tone Feeling will seek a repeat win at this level while making his first start for trainer Victor Barboza.
Race 9, a 1 1/16-mile turf contest for $20,000 claimers with a 4-1 morning-line favorite, is likely to be a popular "spread" race with Rainbow 6 bettors.
Michael Yates-trained Alecka Star, the 2-1 morning-line favorite who has won her two career starts by a combined 19 3/4 lengths, looms as a popular "single" with bettors looking to streamline their Rainbow 6 tickets in race 10, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares.
Kitodan, a dominating winner on the Tapeta surface last time out, is scheduled to make his first start off the claim for trainer Mike Maker in Race 11, a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming allowance on the turf. Irad Ortiz Jr. returns aboard David Fawkes-trained Born a Gambler, who also is moving to the turf off a strong showing on the Tapeta.
The Rainbow 6 sequence will be wrapped up by a 1 1/16-mile maiden race for $25,000 claimers on the turf in Race 12, which drew a full field of older horses. Eagle Chief, a 13-race maiden who was claimed for $25,000 out of a second-place finish last time by trainer William Tharrenos, is rated as the 3-1 favorite. Christophe Clement-trained Warn will seek to graduate after losing a photo last time out. Jeff Hiles-trained Righteous Roy drops down after coming up a little short off the layoff in his first start at Gulfstream.